Coming Home
by The Deuteragonist
Summary: Naruto finally brings Sasuke back. How will Konoha welcome Sasuke? Is Sai Naruto’s new best friend? Will love triangles old and new collide? Part serious, part crack drama. Eventual Naruto/Sasuke.
1. Change This World

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Sadly, he's probably not going to give us a NaruSasu ending...

Warnings: Spoilers for manga up to chapter 458.

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Prologue: Change This World

* * *

"You fucking dumbass!" shrieked Naruto, as he lobbed another attack at Sasuke. "You've been hurt, so you want to hurt others? You've been wronged, so you have the right to lash out at whoever you please? You've been attacking people who've done nothing to you! Do you realize you've become the kind of person you used to despise!?"

"What do you know about anything?!" Sasuke yelled back, refusing to let Naruto get the upper hand in the fight or the argument. "My entire clan was wiped out for the sake of fucking world peace! They helped found Konoha, they yielded the leadership to Senju, and they cast out their own leader for the sake of peace! And all they got in return was suspicion and discrimination! And when they wanted to fight back, Konoha wiped them out—to maintain the fucking peace!"

"Then blame the ones who caused the massacre!" insisted Naruto. "Blame Danzo! Blame the Elders! Blame Madara for helping them along! But what did anyone else ever do to you?!"

"Don't you get it? This world caused the massacre," hissed Sasuke. "This world that we all live in, it…" Sasuke's voice choked. "It had no place for my family! So why should I give a fuck about anyone!?"

"Because," cried Naruto, "we can change this world!"

For a fraction of a second, Sasuke paused. Naruto seized his chance and attacked, incapacitating his opponent. In the end, both were heavily injured and covered with blood, but they were still alive. And this time, it was Sasuke lying on the ground and Naruto staggering towards him.

"We can change things," continued Naruto, almost collapsing beside Sasuke. "We can seek truth and understanding without spreading pain and hatred. Sasuke, we can learn from your tragedy, Itachi's tragedy, your clan's tragedy. We can learn what causes mistrust and conflict and prevent it. Believe me, human hearts can understand suffering. But you can't be one of the people causing more of it."

Sasuke closed his eyes and said nothing. Naruto grinned and leaned over him. It was a reversal of their positions at the Valley of the End.

"Besides, not everything in the world sucks, right?" said Naruto lightly. "You have people who care about you, you know. Don't forget about us."

"Dobe…"

"Yes?"

"…stop invading my personal space."

"Heh heh," Naruto chuckled. "The teme's back."

* * *

A/N: That's all for now. Not much, I know, but there will be more soon.


	2. Never Again Betray Us

Plot notes: 1.) Naruto is about to become Hokage; 2.) the truth about the Uchiha Massacre is out; 3.) Madara has been defeated; 4.) Danzo is in jail; and 5.) the Elders have been replaced by Kakashi and Yamato. BTW, I do not count Danzo as the Sixth Hokage. No bleeping way.

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Chapter 1: Never Again Betray Us

* * *

Kakashi was visiting Naruto in the hospital.

"Kakashi-sensei! I finally brought him back!!" cried Naruto excitedly.

"So I've heard," Kakashi beamed behind his mask. "Well done!"

"Haha," laughed Naruto, pleased with himself. The weight had finally lifted from his shoulders. The little voices in his head, those constant murmurs of guilt and worry, were gone at last.

"But…" Kakashi grew serious.

Naruto knew this was coming. It would not be that easy to accept a missing-nin back.

"How are things with Kumo?" asked Naruto immediately. Within Konoha, they could handle anything, he hoped. But another village…

"Actually, we got the Raikage to rescind the execution order on Sasuke," said Kakashi.

"Really?" Naruto perked up. "How?"

"Sasuke had better be very, _very_ grateful to the Hyugas," said Kakashi, his voice bitter. "When Kumo tried to kidnap Hinata and failed, we let them have Hizashi's head. Now, after Sasuke tried to kidnap Killer Bee and failed, nobody's demanding heads from them, as I pointed out to the Raikage."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That was it?"

"Well, there was more to it underneath the underneath, of course," said Kakashi. "Now that Konoha has taken Sasuke back, to order Sasuke's execution would be to declare war on Konoha. Kumo isn't ready to do that, obviously. Besides, times are changing. People are tempted to see if we can really reform Sasuke, if we can find some good in this and learn from it." There had been more to the deal than that, thought Kakashi, but there was no need to tell Naruto just yet.

"We won't fail!" declared Naruto. "Sasuke's still got some Will of Fire in him, and I'll be the wind that makes the fire stronger!"

Kakashi beamed. "Naruto, your predecessors would be proud," he said. "You embody the qualities that the Shodaime deemed essential in a Hokage: loyalty to your comrades, commitment to protecting the village, and love for people and for peace."

"Heh heh!" Naruto grinned, pleased by the compliment. But he was not a child anymore, and he grew serious as he said, "It's a lot of responsibility, isn't it? Not just protecting the village but also keeping darkness out of people's hearts… Making sure that no kid grows up the way Sasuke did, the way Gaara or Neji did…"

"Naruto, your own childhood was just as difficult. Despite that, you thrived. Because of that, you could bring them around," said Kakashi. "Naruto, you will be a great Hokage. You are strong but righteous. You have both courage and compassion. Most impressively, you can reach people's hearts and change people's minds."

"Wow, you really believe in me that much?" said Naruto, feeling both humble and proud.

"Absolutely," replied Kakashi.

"Thanks!" Naruto was grinning again.

"No problem," said Kakashi cheerily. "Well, I've got to be going now. Tell Sasuke that he owes a debt to Neji, and…tell him 'Welcome back' for me."

Naruto's brow creased. "Why don't you tell him yourself, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Because if I see him right now, I might put a Raikiri through his head," said Kakashi, as lightly as he could. He meant his words, but he did not want to trouble Naruto.

"Heh heh," laughed Naruto nervously. "Uh, okay then…"

"One more thing, Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"When you officially become the Rokudaime, you absolutely cannot do such reckless things again."

"I know, Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

_So, I owe Hyuga a debt,_ thought Sasuke.

Without waiting for permission to leave, Sasuke—who was quite a sight with his bandages and crutch—snuck out of the hospital and made a beeline for the Hyuga compound. He knocked on the gate of the walled courtyard.

"The door's open, come in!" called a male voice from within.

_Damn,_ cursed Sasuke. He had been hoping that someone would open the door for him. Well, too bad. He pushed against the gate, which felt impossibly heavy against his injured arms.

"Need help?" came a female voice.

Footsteps approached. Sasuke braced himself for the reaction of whoever was on the other side of that door.

The gate opened, and a familiar face peeped out. It was Tenten.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Tenten's screech could wake the dead, thought Sasuke. Neji and Lee immediately appeared on top of the wall. Lee promptly fell off when he saw who was at the door. Neji's eyes widened as they took in Sasuke's condition and unconcealed presence.

"You're back," said Neji, while Lee clambered back up. Tenten simply gaped at the no-longer-missing-nin.

"Yes, I am," said Sasuke. _Obviously._

"Who is it, Neji-nii-san?" called another voice from within the courtyard.

Sasuke realized that he had a bigger audience than he had expected.

"You'll see," Neji called back to Hinata. Then, he turned to Sasuke and said curtly, "Come in."

Neji and Lee jumped down and disappeared behind the wall. Sasuke followed Tenten through the gate and into the Hyugas' courtyard.

Besides Team Guy, Team 8 was there as well. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata had gotten to their feet when Tenten had screamed, and their stances did not relax when they saw who their visitor was.

"YOU!!!" cried Kiba, charging at Sasuke with a raised fist.

_Oh, fuck,_ thought Sasuke.

"Kiba-kun!" cried Hinata. Kiba stopped when he saw how heavily injured Sasuke was.

"Heh," Kiba chuckled. "Naruto must've beaten you up for all of us."

Sasuke recalled the battle. Indeed, every hit that Naruto had landed had been accompanied by a furious cry…

"_This is for Choji!"_

_"This is for Neji!"_

_"This is for Kiba and Akamaru!"_

_"This is for Shikamaru and Temari and Kankuro!"_

_"This is for Bushy-Brow and Gaara!"_

_"This is for Team 8, especially Shino who was pissed about missing the first time!"_

_"This is for Sai and Yamato-taichou!"_

_"This is for Sakura and Kakashi-sensei!"_

_"And this is for me! We all went after you and tried to save you, while all you thought about was revenge, revenge, REVENGE! We kept on chasing you and risked our lives for you, you bastard, so you'd better show some GRATITUDE!"_

Sasuke looked around the courtyard, as Naruto's words ran across his mind. Lee, Neji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata… They had all undertaken dangerous missions for his sake. Sasuke's only thought was, _Why?_

Why not ask?

"Why did all of you come after me?" asked Sasuke. _I was never that close to any of you…_

"Because you're a Konoha shinobi," replied Kiba immediately. "You're one of us."

"I didn't think you were completely hopeless," added Neji.

"I still want my rematch!" put in Lee.

Sasuke smirked before he could stop himself. Ah, memories of happier times… And suddenly, he understood. It was an epiphany, like when he had remembered Team 7 while fighting the Eight-Tails alongside Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu. _So, this is what I've been missing all along,_ realized Sasuke. Had the world really been against him? No, he had set himself against it, not even seeing how much it had already changed from the world of previous generations. He had been so blind to so much… Four years' worth of shame finally caught up with Sasuke, and he lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry," said Sasuke at last. "And…thank you." _Naruto's right…the world can change…_

"You'd better be sorry," muttered Kiba.

"And very grateful to Konoha," added Shino.

After a moment's pause, Sasuke addressed the reason why he was there. He turned to Neji and began, "About Kumo…"

Neji understood.

"My father sacrificed his life for his clan and his village, though neither had been kind to him," said Neji. "And I can't imagine the choice that Itachi faced, but he sacrificed his very soul to protect all of us from things beyond his control. So then, Sasuke, you may settle this debt—and convince us to give you another chance—by swearing, upon your brother's memory, that you will never again betray Konoha, never again betray Naruto, and never again betray us."

Sasuke swallowed. Then, he nodded, took a careful breath, and spoke.

"I swear, upon Uchiha Ita—" Sasuke suddenly stopped. He could feel a sob in his throat, but he would not be that pathetic. He had never imagined that he could stand in Konoha and openly speak of and honor his brother's sacrifices…but he would not cry like a child. Sasuke summoned pride into his voice and continued, "…upon Uchiha Itachi's memory, that I will never again betray Konoha, never again betray my comrades, and never again betray Naruto."

"WOW, TEME! HOW TOUCHING!!!" came a loud, hyper voice.

_Dear God…_ was Sasuke's first thought.

Everybody's attention turned to the gate, where Naruto—resembling a mummy as much as Sasuke did—was hobbling into the courtyard on not one but two crutches. Really, he only needed one, but the other made for a very handy cane to wave around.

"Awww, that was so sweet, you bastard!" said Naruto, wildly waving his spare crutch and nearly swiping Tenten's face. Tenten carefully moved out of the way.

"And look at everyone here!" continued Naruto cheerily. "How're all y'all?"

Before anyone could answer, Hinata keeled over.

"Hinata? You okay?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, she's fine," said Kiba. "She still can't stand the sight of you in bandages."

"Is she out cold?" asked Sasuke.

Kiba stared at Hinata's face. Then, he answered, "Looks like it."

"Dobe," said Sasuke, turning to Naruto. "Hinata likes you."

"What?" said Naruto blankly.

"Hinata. Likes. You," repeated Sasuke. It was high time for the usuratonkachi to realize the obvious and either return her feelings or let her move on.

"Well, of course she likes me," said Naruto, confused. "We're old classmates and comrades, right?"

Sasuke just stared.

"Give up," advised Shino. "Hinata told Naruto that she loves him, and he still doesn't get it."

"Get what?" demanded Naruto.

"Naruto, recall when Hinata said that she loves you," said Shino. "What do you think she meant?"

"Oh, that!" said Naruto brightly. "She told me what she meant. She said she admires my confidence and determination, and she's always inspired by my example!"

"And…?" prompted Shino.

"And what?" demanded Naruto. "I told her that I was flattered, and I told her to keep working hard and trying her best and believing in herself!"

"…That's it?" said Sasuke. Surely not even Naruto was _that_ dense…?

"Yep, that's all!" beamed Naruto. "Why, what else was supposed to happen?"

"Naruto, what do you think Hinata meant when she said that she _loves_ you?" said Neji.

"Oh, well…" Naruto pondered. "She said she wants to be just like me… So I guess it's the way Lee loves Gai-sensei!"

Everybody but Naruto instantly keeled over.

* * *

A/N: The full crack drama isn't coming for a while yet :) In the meantime, I realize that a mature, humble, penitent Sasuke is pretty OOC at the moment, but I don't see how he can return to Konoha unless he's _seriousl_y repentant.

Edit: Also, Sasuke's change of heart is elaborated upon in later chapters.

Well, that's it for now. Later!


	3. Team 7

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto, and he's probably amused by the NaruHina vs. NaruSaku vs. NaruSasu wars. (A/N: My money's on NaruSaku, but my heart's on NaruSasu :)

Another plot note: Sasuke was pardoned of his crimes in Konoha because he helped defeat Madara (also partly because of the circumstances of the Uchiha Massacre).

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Chapter 2: Team 7

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Naruto and Sasuke were back in the hospital after their sneak-out trip to the Hyugas'. A few days later, their wounds were mostly healed, and they were almost ready to be released.

Sakura was in Naruto's room. She had not gone to see Sasuke…not just yet.

"Everything still feeling okay?" asked Sakura, handing Naruto a cup of hot ramen.

"Yep, I'm as good as new!" Naruto cheerfully accepted the ramen. "Thanks a bunch, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura smiled. Naruto…he was so unlike a certain jerk who had once thrown her carefully peeled and sliced apple to the floor. Naruto...he loved her, he had always loved her, he cared about her, he wanted to make her happy, and he kept his promises to her. Naruto…whose feelings she could finally return. In the end, she had been fighting to bring back his first friend, as much as he had been fighting to bring back her former teammate—no longer her crush.

Sakura and Sai had been Naruto's only accompaniment when he had gone after Sasuke. Naruto's companions had been kept busy by Sasuke's teammates—a white-haired boy, a red-haired girl, and an orange-haired kid. Sasuke's team had not fought very hard against Sakura and Sai, only preventing interference in Naruto and Sasuke's fight. Apparently, Sasuke had wanted to kill Naruto one-on-one. After the battle, when Naruto and Sasuke had staggered back together, the white-haired guy had gone off, but the girl and the kid had followed them back to Konoha. At least so far, they were not making any trouble.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, have you been to see Sasuke?" asked Naruto.

"No," said Sakura shortly.

"Why?"

"I haven't forgiven him for all he's done to you."

There was a pause. Sakura had yet to tell Naruto how she now felt about him, but he should have noticed her hints that she now loved him instead of Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan, let's go see Sasuke together," suggested Naruto.

"O-Okay," Sakura agreed. It was time, she supposed. Naruto got out of bed and reached for his crutch.

"Here," said Sakura, offering her arm.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan, but I'm fine," said Naruto, smiling to show that he appreciated her offer but wanted to walk on his own.

"All right," Sakura smiled back.

They left Naruto's room and went to the room next door. The door was ajar—Sasuke had a visitor. Naruto, not bothering to knock, pushed the door open. Sakura stood close behind him—and her jaw dropped at what she saw.

One, now that Sasuke was neither heavily wounded nor heavily bandaged, he looked hotter than ever. Two, the red-haired girl was sitting beside Sasuke's bed, cooing and giggling as she fed him orange slices. Three, Sasuke, despite the annoyed and grudging look on his face, was allowing her to do so.

Sakura instantly loathed the red-haired girl.

Meanwhile, Naruto made their presence known by cackling, "Hey, teme! Got yourself a girlfriend?"

Sasuke and the red-haired girl looked up in surprise. It was the girl who spoke first.

"What on earth makes you think I'm his girlfriend!" she screeched, her voice harsh and unpleasant. "I'm not his girlfriend! I'd never want such a thing! I-I—!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" said Naruto quickly, for the girl was on her feet and looked ready to attack.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and briefly met her gaze. Then, he made the introductions. "Naruto, Sakura, this is Karin, a member of my team," said Sasuke. "Karin, Naruto and Sakura were my Genin teammates."

"Uh, nice to meet you, Karin," said Naruto nervously. Sakura merely gave her a curt nod.

"Hmph," said Karin, casting a disdainful glance at Naruto and Sakura. Sakura fought the urge to punch that ugly bitch all the way to Jupiter.

"Karin, will you give us a moment?" asked Sasuke.

"Fine," said Karin, still using her harsh voice. She left as Naruto and Sakura stepped into the room. Sakura immediately shut the door behind her. Naruto plopped onto the seat that Karin had vacated, while Sakura pulled up a chair beside him.

"Are you sure she's not your girlfriend?" asked Naruto immediately.

"Don't even suggest it," said Sasuke, smirking. "The very idea offends her, as you can see."

"Ah, she's in denial!" laughed Naruto.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Except when we're alone. Then, she—"

"Then, she coos when she talks, flirts like a 12-year-old, and feeds you fruit, and you let her do it, to show your appreciation to a teammate," Sakura spat out.

Both boys stared at her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," said Sasuke. He remembered the apple incident—he remembered everything about that day, when he had fought Naruto on the roof—but he was apologizing for so much more.

Sakura burst into tears. Sasuke lowered his gaze, while Naruto put a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulders.

"S-Sasuke-kun," sobbed Sakura. "Promise…promise…that you won't leave us again."

"I already have," replied Sasuke quietly. "I swore on my brother's memory that I would never again betray Konoha or my comrades."

Sakura nodded weakly, happy and relieved.

"Teme even put in a special mention for me!" declared Naruto proudly. "You bastard, I'm special to you, aren't I?"

"As the ramen-breath dobe who took my first kiss, of course," Sasuke teased back.

Sakura blinked. She had almost forgotten that her two crushes had shared their first kiss with each other.

"TEME!!!" fumed Naruto. "_YOU_ OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW THAT WAS AN _ACCIDENT_!!!"

Sasuke snickered at Naruto's indignation and chuckled, "Yeah, yeah." Suddenly, Sasuke grew serious. "Dobe, don't tell Karin about that incident. She might kill you in your sleep."

"I've no doubt," said Naruto, equally serious.

Neither boy noticed that steam was issuing from Sakura's nostrils. First, she was being left out of kisses. Now, she was being left out of conversations. But before that train of thought could continue, the door opened and Sai stepped in.

"Hey, Sai!" said Naruto cheerfully.

Sasuke cast a critical glance at his _replacement_—he hated that word—and noted that they did look slightly similar, except for the other's shorter hair and much paler skin.

"Hello, Dickless," said Sai in greeting.

Sasuke's killing intent went through the roof.

"Chill, Sasuke, he means me," said Naruto quickly.

"And I see Homo has healed well too," added Sai, turning to Sasuke.

Electricity cackled. "Enjoy your last day alive," growled Sasuke.

"Yes, yes, how terrifying," said Sai blandly. He turned to Sakura and said, "Well, Ugly, you must be very happy now that you, Dickless, and Homo are all reunited."

"Well, yes, it's a long overdue reunion," said Sakura, surprised at the snappiness in her own voice. Why was she getting defensive all of a sudden? Why was her temper flaring at Sai's usual antics, at the way he called her gorgeous teammate homo, her almost-boyfriend dickless, and herself ugly?

Sai raised an eyebrow. "I thought that Ugly had long stopped caring about my nickname for her," he mused. "Why is she now…?" Sai glanced at Sasuke. "Ah, I see. Ugly does not want to be called that in front of Homo. How strange, I always thought that Ugly was very gentle and caring toward Dickl—"

"Shut. Up," said Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke together.

"Very well. I apologize for my rudeness," said Sai. He then turned to Sasuke. "I have a warning for you, Uchiha. It was Naruto and his determination to bring you back that taught me how strong and enduring a bond can be. If you ever again try to sever the bond that he so determinedly protects…"

"I will not," said Sasuke immediately. "I have sworn it." Deep down, he was furious that his _replacement_ was lecturing him like this.

"I see," said Sai. "Well, Uchiha, you should also know that Naruto suffered greatly for your sake. He stood up for you, defended you to others, fretted about your well-being, and took blows from your enemies when it was you whom they hated. So you had better start thinking about how to make it up to him."

"I don't need _you_ to tell me," said Sasuke, through gritted teeth. _It's none of your business anyways,_ Sasuke wanted to add, but he knew better. It was Sai's business, because Sai cared about Naruto.

"Hey, Sai, it's okay," said Naruto quickly. "Really, thanks for that, but it's over now." Naruto chuckled. "Though I must say, I'm proud of how far you've come in understanding people and bonds."

"It's because I'm learning from you and your friends, especially you," said Sai earnestly.

"Heh heh, you flatter me," said Naruto, blushing.

Sasuke turned away, unable to watch them.

Humiliation.

Sasuke realized that he would feel it many times in the coming weeks, months, and years. But now, he was doubly humiliated because this was coming from Sai. Because of Sai, Team 7 had been a full team—without Sasuke—and the Konoha 11 had been the Konoha 12—without Sasuke. Sai had been there for Naruto, whom Sasuke had abandoned. Sai cared about, protected, looked out for, and was trusted by Naruto… Naruto, with whom Sasuke had fought so many times, side-by-side, back-to-back, and face-to-face…

Sai had been Sasuke's _replacement _both on Team 7 and at Naruto's side.

* * *

A/N: Ooh, something smells burnt in here!

A/N 2: BTW, rest assured that Sasuke/Naruto/Sai is a friendship triangle, NOT a love triangle. *shudders at the very thought*


	4. The Hardest Reunion

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: Last reunion chapter, but it's…

* * *

Chapter 3: The Hardest Reunion

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were finally out of the hospital. The moment they were out the door, Naruto yelled, "C'mon, teme!" and made a beeline for Ichiraku.

Teuchi greeted Naruto with a warm smile and Sasuke with a cold glare. After that, he avoided looking directly at Sasuke, talking instead to the space over Sasuke's head. For his part, Sasuke remained completely polite and humble. He knew that earning forgiveness was a part of returning to Konoha; he had made this choice, and he would follow through. Besides, this was probably the best decision he had ever made. It made him feel happy and hopeful—he would not say warm and fuzzy—instead of angry and hateful.

Naruto sat down at his usual spot, and Sasuke sat down beside him.

"Ah, doesn't it feel good to be back, teme? Admit it, you missed this place."

"Hn."

"Remember when we took Kakashi-sensei here, because we wanted to see his true face?"

Sasuke grew curious. "Have you…?"

"No," sighed Naruto. "Unfortunately."

"Huh."

"By the way, Sasuke, don't mind Sai too much," said Naruto. "He can be weird and rude, but you'll get used to him."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to being addressed as 'Homo,'" said Sasuke. _And I can't see how you got used to someone calling you "Dickless"…_

"Ah, heh heh, well…" Naruto chuckled. Then, he said, "You know, I really hated Sai when I first met him. All he did was insult us—me, you, Sakura-chan. Besides, I didn't want anyone taking your place. But he came around. He saw what Team 7 was about and wanted to be a part of it. And, happy surprise, he turned out to be a really cool guy. So, Sakura and I consider him one of us now."

Sasuke frowned. What was Naruto saying? That Team 7 now consisted of Naruto, Sakura, and Sai? That Sasuke was not in Team 7's good graces unless he was in Sai's good graces as well? Sasuke looked at Naruto, who was smiling encouragingly. Sasuke had no clue what Naruto wanted.

"Did Sai ever tell you to forget about me and worry about yourself?" asked Sasuke, recalling Sai's words earlier. Sai had been at Naruto's side when Naruto was suffering for his loyalty to Sasuke…

"Uh, well, yeah," said Naruto hesitantly. "But…"

"Then, he's a true friend to you," said Sasuke quietly. _Unlike me_…

"Well, yeah, because he—" began Naruto, but he was interrupted.

"Hey, is that Naruto's orange jumpsuit I see?" came a familiar voice.

Naruto and Sasuke turned around. Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Temari were approaching.

"On another date with the honorable ambassador from Suna, eh, Shikamaru?" teased Naruto, hoping to lighten the mood before the inevitable reaction to Sasuke's return. "Is your team chaperoning you?"

"Very funny, Naruto," said Shikamaru. He immediately turned his gaze to Sasuke. "So, you're back."

"Yes," said Sasuke. He remembered that Shikamaru had led the first mission to retrieve him.

"Got anything to say for yourself?" said Shikamaru.

Sasuke met Shikamaru's eyes and then Choji's. "I'm sorry," said Sasuke, meaning it. _If they have to risk their lives for someone, it should be for each other, not for me._

"Are you sorry you left?" asked Shikamaru pointedly.

That made Sasuke pause. He was sorry that his old comrades had been hurt because of him. But was he sorry that he had left Konoha and gone after his brother? Was he sorry that he had…

"I'm not sorry that I found out the truth," replied Sasuke honestly.

Four pairs of eyes narrowed at that. In their hearts, they could not condemn that statement in itself, but what about the path that had led Sasuke to the truth…?

"I don't know what could've or might've happened had I stayed in Konoha," Sasuke went on. "I might've found out the truth some other way. It might've gone better if I hadn't spent years with Orochimaru, wallowing in hatred. It might've gone better if I found out with the rest of Konoha, rather than by myself. Or I might've lived happily never knowing the truth. After all, for most of my life, I didn't know that I didn't know…" He stopped and frowned. That was a strange sentence.

"Okay, that's confusing enough, but we get your gist," said Choji, chuckling. "Now, I want food."

"Agreed!" laughed Ino.

In truth, Team 10 had heard from Team 8 and Team Guy about Sasuke's oath, and they were not inclined to be harsh on him. Even Shikamaru, who bitterly remembered his first mission as a Chunin and his team's near-deaths, was inclined to be forgiving.

"Well then, I think we're done here," said Shikamaru, as Choji and Ino stepped into the ramen bar. "Welcome back, Sasuke. See you, Naruto!"

Shikamaru then led Temari off.

"Where are they going?" asked Naruto curiously.

Ino began giggling.

"Oh no," groaned Choji. "Now she's going to gossip all through dinner again. First, it'll be Shikamaru and Temari. Next, it'll be Neji and Tenten. After that, she'll go on and on about precious 'Sai-kun'…"

Sasuke fought a sudden urge to laugh. He did not mind being replaced by Sai in that respect.

* * *

After dinner, Choji, Ino, and Naruto and Sasuke went their separate ways home. Speaking of which…

"Where am I going?" asked Sasuke. _I've been away for too long…_

"You can return to your apartment," said Naruto. "Or, if you don't mind, you can crash at my place."

"I'll crash with you tonight," said Sasuke, not wanting to be alone. "By the way, Karin and Jugo tell me that they were given a place for three."

"Yeah," said Naruto. "We didn't know how many of your teammates would want to stay with you."

"Thank you," said Sasuke, touched. "I think I'll move in with them. I don't want to live alone anymore."

"That's quite a change for you, teme," chuckled Naruto. "Now, what we were talking about before?"

_We were talking about how Sai became your new best friend,_ thought Sasuke bitterly, but he said nothing.

"Oh yes, we were—" Naruto began, but he stopped immediately.

A massive killing intent—right in front of them.

In the dark of night, an eerie blue light flashed. The chirping of electricity drowned out the chirping of crickets.

"Kakashi-sensei!" cried Naruto, but before he finished speaking, Sasuke found himself staring at his first teacher—and the incoming Raikiri.

Sasuke had prepared for this. First, he quashed the instinctive urge to defend himself. Next, he quashed the instinctive urge to look his killer boldly in the eye. Then, he simply lowered his gaze and bowed his head before the one who had given him the Chidori.

Sasuke did not move as screech-like chirping filled his ears and blue lightning glowed in his face. But the blow did not come. Finally, the sound and the light faded, and Sasuke raised his head.

Kakashi, hands back in his pockets, looked at his third student as if he were regarding a pile of dirt.

Naruto, who had been frozen with shock, finally managed to speak. "W-Wow… You weren't kidding, Kakashi-sensei…"

"No, I wasn't," said Kakashi shortly. He looked into Sasuke's eyes and said, "I am ashamed that you were ever my student. I regret having ever taught you anything."

Sasuke said nothing. Kakashi turned to leave.

"Kakashi-sensei!" cried Naruto. "Wait!"

Kakashi paused. "Yes, Naruto?"

"I promise you, we'll make some good come out of this!" declared Naruto. _So please, don't regret any part of Team 7 …_

Kakashi looked at Naruto for a moment. Then, he turned back to Sasuke.

"The only reason you're alive right now is because I don't want to waste all of Naruto's efforts," said Kakashi, "and because there's a chance that you will bring Naruto happiness instead of grief from now on. I hope I am right about you this time."

And with that, Kakashi vanished.

"Uh…Sasuke…?" said Naruto hesitantly. That did not go well at all…

"Naruto," said Sasuke, realizing something. "I haven't said that to you yet, have I?"

"Said what?" asked Naruto.

"I'm sorry," said Sasuke. "And thank you. It's because of you that people haven't forgotten about me, and that people are accepting me back." _Well, some people, at least…_

"Oh," said Naruto, surprised. Then, he grinned from ear to ear. "Haha! Geez, when'd you become so nice? I don't even know what to say! Well, you're back now, and you promised not to leave again, so I'm happy. Now c'mon, let's go home."

"Yes, let's," said Sasuke, smiling a little. _I'm home now, aren't I? What a long-lost feeling…_

* * *

A/N: Heehee :)


	5. Through His Brother's Eyes

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: This was supposed to be a crack chapter, but then I had a sudden idea for a plot XDDD. Be warned that I'm not a big plot person. To me, plot exists only to make the characters do what I want them to do :)

A/N 2: For those who, like me, are easily confused: Hokage of Konoha; Kazekage of Suna; Mizukage of Kiri; Raikage of Kumo; and Tsuchikage of Iwa. And if I got any of that wrong…I'm officially pathetic.

* * *

Chapter 4: Through His Brother's Eyes

* * *

The next day, Sai was on his way out of Konoha for a morning walk when he saw Naruto, Sasuke, and Naruto's ANBU guard staggering into the village.

Two things about this scene raised Sai's eyebrows. One, everyone except Naruto was covered in blood. Two, since Sasuke was the most heavily injured and was being helped along by Naruto, it seemed that he was not the cause of the trouble.

"What happened?" asked Sai immediately.

"Attacked on a morning walk," said Naruto bluntly. "In the woods surrounding Konoha. Kumo and Iwa, judging from their techniques. They got away."

Kumo and Iwa shinobi attacking the Hokage-to-be? It was bizarre. But Sai could think of one reason why a Kumo-nin might bear a grudge against Konoha and Naruto. Sai glanced at Sasuke.

"They were not after Sasuke," said Naruto immediately. "They were after me. It was obvious from their strategy that they hadn't expected Sasuke to be there. Actually, if it weren't for him…" Naruto paused when he saw that more ANBU were coming to attend to them. "…c'mon, let's go."

Sai nodded. As the newly-arrived ANBU supported Naruto's guard, Sai went to Sasuke's other side and lifted Sasuke's other arm over his own shoulders. Sasuke gave a weary groan and a glare but did not otherwise protest.

Sai frowned. He did not mean to compliment Sasuke, but if even the Uchiha had had trouble against the enemy…

Worrisome things were going on, thought Sai, as they all leapt into the air and vanished.

* * *

Naruto, Sai, and Sakura were in Sasuke's hospital room. Sasuke had not expected to be back in the hospital so quickly, but his wounds were easier to treat this time. There had been no long, intense, drawn-out battle.

"I can't believe this!" cried Sakura. "Naruto's official instatement is tonight, and now this happens!"

"I'm not even Rokudaime yet, and already I have to stand back and watch people die for me," said Naruto darkly.

"Um, I'm not dead," Sasuke felt the need to point out.

"I can see that, teme." Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean." _Those were some pretty narrow misses…_

"You're going to be Hokage," Sai reminded Naruto. "Your job is to protect the village. Our job is to protect you from random assassins."

"No, not entirely random," said a voice at the door.

The four looked up and saw the Konoha Council—Kakashi and Yamato—step into the room.

Sasuke recognized Yamato as Team 7's captain in Kakashi's absence. Like Sai, Yamato had never known Sasuke, but he had still wanted to bring Sasuke back for Team 7's sake. Sasuke lowered his gaze. It had become a sign of penance for him, who had always lifted his eyes proudly and arrogantly to the world.

"Welcome back, Uchiha Sasuke, and I'm glad to see you're making yourself useful," said Yamato. He knew that Sasuke had already given out several rounds of apologies and figured that the point was more or less made. "Now, as we were saying, this assassination attempt was not random. We just got word that the Mizukage recently experienced a similar attack."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What!?"

"My thoughts exactly," said Yamato. "The circumstances were identical. She was attacked not far beyond her village, at a spot that she habitually frequented. The first wave of attackers kept her guards occupied, while a second group of stronger attackers focused on taking her down."

"She's okay, right?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah," replied Yamato. "Like you, she was lucky. She happened to have a powerful companion along, which the attackers did not expect. It was that swordsman, Chojuro. The attackers fled when they realized that they faced two powerful opponents and had no chance of finishing off the Kage."

_They didn't flee quickly enough for us,_ thought Naruto, glancing at Sasuke. Sasuke had protected Naruto from several attacks intended to kill before the attackers had retreated.

"Well, it does seem that they used more power and more desperation against us," said Yamato. "Not surprising considering Konoha's reputation. Besides, they already had one failure under their belt."

"Then, it was also Kumo and Iwa shinobi?" asked Naruto. _Konoha and Kiri have been attacked…_

"So it seems," said Yamato, "though both the Raikage and Tsuchikage claim to know nothing about it."

"And don't worry, we've already warned the Kazekage," said Kakashi, knowing that Naruto was afraid that Suna would be next.

"Great," said Naruto, cracking a smile. Then, he grew serious and said, "Who are these people? Black Ops? Missing-nin?" _Trying to assassinate Kages, how ambitious. Not another Akatsuki, I hope…_

"I can see why Kumo or Iwa might feel threatened in times like these," noted Kakashi.

Naruto, having been the de facto Hokage since the defeat of Akatsuki, did not need to ask why. Konoha and Suna had jointly reached out to Kiri and reestablished diplomatic relations, since the Fifth Mizukage seemed sensible and open-minded, if slightly hearing-impaired. These three villages had formed a permanent alliance for discussing problems and cooperating on issues of common concern. At every step, Kumo and Iwa had been invited to join; at every step, they had forcefully declined. How much suspicion and mistrust must be spreading through those two villages?

"Konoha and Kiri Black Ops are trying to find out what they can about the attackers," said Yamato. "That's all we can do for now, besides keep a closer eye on you, of course."

"I won't leave the village for a while," said Naruto. "And don't worry, I'm always on guard."

"That's good," said Yamato. "Well then, we'll see you at the ceremony tonight." Yamato turned to leave—and was surprised when Kakashi did not.

"Sasuke, may I have a word with you alone," said Kakashi. It was not a question.

"Um…" Naruto spoke up nervously.

"Don't worry, I won't try to kill him again," said Kakashi.

"What—!" cried Sakura.

"Come on," interrupted Sai, pulling Naruto and Sakura out of the room. Yamato followed them out and closed the door behind them.

Naruto cast a suspicious glance towards the door.

"He's not going to kill him," said Yamato. "Sasuke is starting to redeem himself quite well."

"Still, I wonder what Kakashi-sensei wants to talk about," said Naruto.

"Ask Sasuke-kun later," suggested Sai. "He'll tell you if he wants to."

* * *

"Well, you've sure changed a lot in a very short time," said Kakashi.

Sasuke said nothing.

"Being back in Konoha made you realize how much you missed it?" asked Kakashi. "How much you misjudged us all?"

_Yes,_ thought Sasuke. He had always looked at things in the worst way, while Naruto looked at things in the best way. As it turned out, the light was more addictive than the darkness.

"My, my," Kakashi finally smiled behind his mask. "You're just like a little kid. And here I was, thinking that you were a demon lost to the dark side."

"What did you want to talk about?" asked Sasuke, changing the topic.

"Ah, yes," said Kakashi, his smile gone. "Stop trying to hide it. You're going blind."

Sasuke went still.

"Naruto's going to notice soon," added Kakashi.

_He almost did during the attack,_ thought Sasuke.

"We got your brother's eyes from Madara's hideout," said Kakashi. "I think it's time."

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes.

"Sasuke, you swore on his memory that you'll be loyal to Konoha, and you risked your life to protect the Rokudaime," said Kakashi. "You've already accepted the legacy that he left you. I think you now see the village as he saw it."

"No," said Sasuke, looking up. _I could never do what he did. Destroying part of Konoha to save the rest—something like that must never happen again. I'll make sure of it. As will that dobe,_ Sasuke realized._ As will all of our comrades. _"I think I have more faith in Konoha than he did."

"I see," said Kakashi, smiling widely. "Then, you must let Itachi's eyes see it too."

"…Yeah," realized Sasuke.

"Then, it's all set," said Kakashi. "Sakura will perform the transplant. She's the best medic-nin that Konoha has ever had. And we'll do it right away."

"Not that I object, but what's the hurry?" asked Sasuke.

"Naruto will officially become Hokage tonight," Kakashi reminded him. "So, on this day, your eyes must see clearly."

* * *

Before all the people of Konohagakure, Uzumaki Naruto vowed to lead the village with wisdom, justice, and righteousness and to protect the people of the village with his life—as the Rokudaime Hokage.

Everybody who had ever known Naruto was crying tears of pride and joy. Naruto—the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the son of the Fourth Hokage, the student of Kakashi and Jiraiya, the prankster and dead last who had become the Toad Sage, the vanquisher of Akatsuki, and the defender of Konoha—had finally achieved his dream.

The Hokage hat felt strange, mused Naruto. It made him feel giddy and light-headed, yet it was heavy with the responsibility that it carried. He was once a child who wanted attention and acknowledgement, and he was now a shinobi who had always and would always protect his precious people. All along, he had never taken his eyes off his goal, and now…

At last. He had finally done it.

"Hey, why are you crying, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou?" laughed Naruto, as he jumped over to them. "You should be singing and dancing and drinking sake in the streets!" Indeed, Konoha had turned into one giant party. From the streets to the shops to the restaurants, the entire village was filled with cheering, feasting, toasting, and merrymaking, a sea of festivity lighting up the night sky.

"We're so proud of you, Naruto," said Kakashi. "We all are."

"Heh heh! Gee, thanks!" Naruto blushed happily. "Well, I'm off to enjoy the celebrations. You old geezers have some fun too!"

"Haha, very funny," said Yamato, a wide grin on his face. "Well then, be off, young 'un!"

Naruto went through the crowds, grinning as he received cheers, congratulations, good wishes, hugs, handshakes, high-fives, and a mug of some type of alcohol. He looked around for his friends, but it was impossible to find anyone among the celebratory crowds. Well then, they would have to find him.

"SAKURA-CHAN! SAI! SASUKEEEEE!!!" yelled Naruto, but even the Hokage's voice could barely be heard over the noisy festivities. Luckily, one of those three must have had good ears, because they soon came nudging through the crowd.

"I'm so proud of you, Naruto!" cried Sakura, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan!" said Naruto, hugging her back.

After Sakura released Naruto, Sai gave Naruto a small picture and said, "Here is the miniature of your official Hokage portrait."

Naruto took it and looked at it. "Damn, I look good!" he declared.

"The full-sized one looks even better," said Sai proudly.

"Thanks!" said Naruto, tucking the picture into his pocket. He then turned to Sasuke, who was barely keeping his usual smirk from becoming a full smile.

"Hey, teme, can't you smile?" teased Naruto.

That did it. A true smile touched Sasuke's face, softening his features and brightening his eyes.

"There we go!" laughed Naruto. He threw his arms around Sasuke and pulled the slightly taller boy into a bear hug. Then, he stepped back and looked at his friend—and frowned.

"Hey, Sasuke, your eyes look different," remarked Naruto.

"Oh? How so?" said Sasuke lightly. Sai heard Sakura draw a tiny breath, but neither said anything.

"Well…" said Naruto, peering at Sasuke's—and Itachi's—eyes. "They look… Oh never mind. They look exactly the same. Either I'm going crazy, or the light's just weird."

"You're only going crazy now, usuratonkachi?" teased Sasuke, deciding that there was no need to tell Naruto. Well, unless Naruto ever saw Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan and noticed the difference…

"Haha, very funny, teme," said Naruto. He looked at Sasuke, and a heartfelt smile spread across his own face. "You know, this wouldn't be the same without you, Sasuke. But since you are here, I've achieved both of my dreams. So now…my dream is to always keep everyone this happy."

"Hn," said Sasuke, still smiling. _And I'll help you, to always keep you this happy._

* * *

A/N: ^^!


	6. All in a Day's Work

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: This chapter mixes crack drama and serious scenes. I must admit that these serious scenes keep popping themselves in, especially since there's sort of a plot now…

* * *

Chapter 5: All in a Day's Work

* * *

The Hokage must keep his skills sharp by sparring with worthy partners, so Naruto had said. So it was that on the next day, when the sun was barely up, Naruto had pestered everyone—Sakura, Sai, Team 10, Team 8, Team Guy, and the honorable, irritated, and sleep-deprived ambassador from Suna—out of bed for a round of early morning practice and was now lobbing projectiles at Sasuke's window.

"WAKE UP TEME!!" hollered Naruto. Lee enthusiastically helped him shout and throw things, while the others struggled to keep their eyes open.

Meanwhile, inside the apartment where Sasuke, Karin, and Jugo lived, Karin and Jugo were holding pillows over their heads in a vain attempt to muffle the clamor.

"Sasuke!" yelled Karin at last. "Where the hell are you?! Make them shut up already!!"

Actually, Sasuke was already up and taking a morning shower. He had been wondering what all that screaming was, when Karin's not-so-dulcet tones joined the chorus. Growling in annoyance, Sasuke turned off the water, dried himself enough so that he was not dripping, wrapped a towel around his waist, emerged from the bathroom, went into his bedroom, and threw open the window.

"WHAT. THE. FUCK. DO. YOU. WANT??!!" demanded Sasuke, glaring at the noisy lot below.

Suddenly, everyone was wide awake—and staring in awe, wonder, admiration, and envy at the drool-inducing sight of Sasuke, with his dark hair wet and slightly dripping, his lean, muscled torso bare to the morning light, and water droplets clinging to his pale skin.

Sasuke frowned at their wide-eyed, slack-jawed expressions. "What do you want?" he repeated.

"Sasuke, are you wearing anything right now?" asked Naruto, before he could stop himself.

A vein popped on Sasuke's forehead. "I am wearing a towel because I was showering," said Sasuke. "Now, why on earth are all of you up so early?"

"Practice," said Naruto dazedly, still staring, like everyone else.

"Okay, gimme a moment," said Sasuke. He went back in and closed the window.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

"Wow," said Ino, summing up everyone's thoughts exactly.

* * *

Practice consisted of a medley of random one-on-ones. It was fun, and everyone held back on the fireworks and stuck to their most basic abilities. Except for whatever match Sasuke was involved in. Those got just a little flashier than the others, because the Konoha ninja were curious about Sasuke's improvement, and vice versa. Though there was still a good deal of reserve and secrecy on all sides—no need to get serious over a few practice matches, after all—it was obvious from how everyone employed even their basic abilities that they now among Konoha's finest.

When the fun was over and work beckoned, the young ninja went their separate ways.

* * *

As the gang split up, Tenten and Temari chatted briefly on their way back from the training grounds.

"Wow, we got a nice eyeful this morning, didn't we?" remarked Tenten.

"Indeed," agreed Temari. "It was a very pleasant sight to behold."

The two girls looked at each other, and both laughed. Both remembered that years ago, when they had first met him at the Chunin exams, that had also been their first impression.

"Don't tell Neji," chuckled Tenten.

"If you don't tell Shikamaru," replied Temari.

But it was only harmless teasing. All girls liked "pleasant sights" and "nice eyefuls," but Tenten and Temari were no longer young or silly—or single. But surely, that was not true of every kunoichi in Konoha…

* * *

Sasuke, Karin, and Jugo went to officially register—in Sasuke's case, re-register—as Konoha shinobi. Since they had been rogue ninja, an ANBU was there to tell them the special conditions: They would always be with at least three proper Konoha shinobi, and they would not be allowed anywhere near a sensitive mission. Such would be the case until their loyalty was proven. Jugo listened politely, but Karin made faces and obviously wanted to complain. However, Sasuke had warned her to behave if she wanted to stay in Konoha—which of course she did, to stay with Sasuke.

"And remember," said the ANBU, as he wrapped things up, "be careful with your actions. Give your teammates no reason to suspect you. They will not hesitate to restrain you if their suspicion is raised."

"Yeah, yeah," griped Karin. "Just you country bumpkins wait. Once you see my amazing abilities, you'll start to appreciate me more."

"I hope you will use those abilities well," said the ANBU blandly. "Well then…" He looked at their papers. "Karin and Jugo, you will start your missions today. Uchiha Sasuke, one more word with you."

After Karin and Jugo left, the ANBU shut the door and turned to Sasuke.

"We would've been reluctant to trust you at all, Uchiha Sasuke, but you saved the Rokudaime's life," said the ANBU. "So then, listen up. We are giving you a special mission: to find out everything you can about those who attacked the Hokage, in particular, whether they are actually rogue ninja. Your own experience is particularly valuable in this case." It was a simple fact, stated without accusing overtones. Behind his mask, the ANBU looked steadily at Sasuke. "You are unexpectedly close to winning back all of our trust. I do hope that happens soon. Your skills would be welcome among us."

"I understand," said Sasuke. He knew that he was being handed an ANBU-level mission, an opportunity to prove his trustworthiness in full. After all, this ANBU member had bluntly stated that they wanted him in. So, Sasuke added, "Thank you."

The ANBU nodded. As he watched Sasuke leave, he thought to himself, _You've become a completely different person, Uchiha Sasuke. If that is the power of the Rokudaime, then the coming years will be good ones indeed…_

* * *

Naruto and his visitor were sitting in his private meeting room.

"So," said Naruto, "what would you think of joining our alliance?"

The leader of Amegakure raised an eyebrow. "I thought this was an alliance among Great Ninja Villages," said Konan.

"Well, that's because the only members right now are us, Suna, and Kiri," replied Naruto. "That would change if Ame joined, of course."

"Suna and Kiri, they agree with this invitation?" asked Konan.

"Yep, both Gaara and the Mizukage are onboard with this," Naruto assured her. "If there's one thing that we've learned, it's that our conflicts and decisions affect the smaller nations, and vice versa. We want you guys to be part of the conversation and have a chance to voice your concerns."

"Hmm," said Konan, liking what she was hearing.

"If Ame joins, then other smaller villages might sign on too," continued Naruto. "They'll see that it's not just about us big nations, and they'll be more inclined to trust our intentions."

"What about Kumo and Iwa?" asked Konan. "I understand that they're keeping a firm distance from all of this. If they are not inclined to trust your intentions…"

Naruto sighed. Indeed, it was risky to expand the alliance while two of the Great Ninja Villages were dead-set against the very idea. Still, how could he let two stubborn Kages prevent them from moving forward, when things were starting off so well? But Naruto knew the consequences of ignoring Kumo and Iwa's concerns. He had a sudden memory of Sasuke stepping in front of him and yelling at him to stay back…

"Well, it might be easier to win trust if the alliance were bigger," said Naruto, pushing away the memory for now. "The bigger the alliance is, the smaller the chance that we'll agree on anything as dramatic as jointly antagonizing another village."

"True enough," agreed Konan. "So then, the stated goals of this alliance are…"

"To resolve potential conflicts without violence, to track down rogue ninja and criminal organizations, and to promote stability in all nations and villages," said Naruto. "Needless to say, the inclusion of smaller villages is essential to all of these goals."

"Very well," said Konan, smiling. "I will speak to Ame's council and populace in favor of joining you."

"Great!" Naruto broke into a grin. Things were going well indeed!

Konan looked around the room. She saw, perched on the windowsill, the origami bouquet that she had given Naruto.

"Naruto," said Konan softly, "I think that Yahiko, Nagato, and Jiraiya-sensei would've been very happy to see a day like this."

"Yeah," agreed Naruto, smiling too. "They had dreams that a lot of people could share."

* * *

Sai was having lunch in the ANBU cafeteria with a few other top commanders.

"It is often said that the Rokudaime is the most unpredictable ninja in Konoha," remarked one ANBU. "However, I wonder sometimes whether Uchiha could give him a run for his money."

"Indeed, Uchiha is already on his third 180-degree attitude shift, is he not?" said another ANBU.

"From the number one rookie of his year, to a revenge-driven missing-nin who refrained from gratuitous killing, to an associate of Akatsuki and truly vile criminal, and now to the Rokudaime's sworn friend and proven protector," summarized a third ANBU. "At every step, Uchiha is so stubborn in his beliefs that he seems unswayable. How can such a person be trusted at all?"

"We trust him because the Rokudaime trusts him," said Sai firmly. "And because we have seen that mistrust breeds more mistrust, while good faith breeds more good faith."

* * *

Sakura, the head medic of Konoha Hospital, and Ino, Sakura's deputy, were taking their lunch break.

"I'm so confused," said Sakura, out of the blue.

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Confused about what?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head. As much as she wanted to confide in her friend, she was too ashamed to even voice her thoughts.

_What on earth is wrong with me?_ thought Sakura. Of course she was in love with Naruto. She had a whole list of reasons why. She had gone over those reasons again and again in her head. But now… _This is wrong_, Sakura knew. It was wrong to think about Sasuke like that, when he had just returned, and it was Naruto who had brought him back. But Sakura could not keep Sasuke out of her thoughts.

Did she still have a crush on him, or was she only recalling a time when she had? Did she really envy that Karin girl, or was she just upset because he had shown more tolerance to his newer teammate? Did she really have more-than-friendly feelings for him, or did she just enjoy seeing a hot guy half-naked? Was she seriously rethinking her devotion to Naruto and only Naruto, or was this normal for not-single people when they came across someone attractive? Were these thoughts going to keep pestering her, or were they part of a natural phase that would soon pass?

"Sure you don't want to talk?" asked Ino.

"Well…" Sakura sighed. "It's about…Sasuke-kun."

Bad idea.

"AAHHH!!!" squealed Ino immediately. "Wasn't he gorgeous this morning? Oh my God, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I'm so glad that Naruto hauled us up so early. And Sasuke-kun was in the shower too, what perfect timing! I'd get up at the crack of dawn every day to see that again!"

It took all of Sakura's self-control to refrain from punching Ino's nonexistent brains out.

"I thought you liked Sai," muttered Sakura darkly.

"Well, I thought that too," said Ino. "And I still think he's quite hot. But I must say, between Sasuke-kun and Sai-kun, I'd have to choose Sasuke-kun."

"I don't think either is interested in you," said Sakura cruelly.

"Maybe not right now, but that can change." Ino practiced her flirtatious look. "Who's to say that Sasuke-kun isn't looking for some female company?"

"He has that Karin girl," said Sakura, continuing to provoke Ino. "He values her as a teammate and is actually nice to her."

"Oh, please!" Ino snorted dismissively. "That girl's a complete wacko. Besides, she's not pretty at all. Even you're prettier than her."

"And I'm way prettier than you," retorted Sakura.

"Keep telling yourself that, Forehead."

"Just the truth, Ino-pig."

"Whatever," Ino shrugged. "Anyways, you're with Naruto now. So whether or not I get Sasuke-kun or Sai-kun has nothing to do with you."

"I'm not officially with Naruto yet!" said Sakura quickly. _Wait, why am I in such a haste to say something like that? Naruto and I _are_ practically together now…aren't we?_

"I'm sure you two will be official soon enough," Ino grinned. Then, she grew serious and said, "You know, Sakura, you've grown so much. We all appreciate Naruto, and he's our Rokudaime now, but you appreciate him as a man. Even though he's a good and true friend, I'll always see him as a ridiculous goofball when he's not being a heroic defender." Ino sighed. "I'm too shallow to appreciate someone like him. It's good that someone like you became his teammate and got to know him."

Sakura really felt like crap now.

"Anyways, what were you going to say about Sasuke-kun?" asked Ino, assuming that it was regular teammate business.

"N-Nothing," said Sakura quickly. There was no way that she could share her doubts now.

* * *

Hinata—who was kind, gentle, patient, and encouraging, who had conquered her stuttering shyness except around Naruto, and who liked and was liked by children—was now an instructor at the Ninja Academy. Presently, she was on her lunch break, sitting quietly by herself in the same café as Sakura and Ino. The two medic-nin did not notice her, and she did not draw their attention.

Hinata carefully observed the two kunoichi as they talked. She caught snatches of their conversation, and she could see how Sakura's expression changed and shifted. It was obvious that despite Sakura's feelings for Naruto, she could still recall her old crush on Sasuke. It was obvious that Sakura did not like being counted out while Ino and "that Karin girl" vied for Sasuke's attention.

Hinata frowned. She knew that Naruto saw herself as a friend and nothing more, so it did not even cross his mind that she might see him differently. However, he loved Sakura with all his heart, and he may well have noticed her hints that she was returning his love. But would Sakura let Naruto down? Would she go back to preferring Sasuke and breaking Naruto's heart?

_Even if Naruto does not want me,_ thought Hinata, _he should have someone who appreciates him truly and completely. Sakura may respect him and love him as a friend, but can she really give him all that he deserves?_

* * *

Some days later, Lee, Choji, Kiba, and Shino were on their way back from a rather exhausting mission. Along the way, they stopped at a diner to grab a quick supper. Well, Choji and Shino were grabbing a quick supper. Lee and Kiba were getting themselves stone drunk—unusually stone drunk.

Suddenly, Lee began weeping.

"My dear Sakura-san!" sobbed Lee. "First I lost you to Sasuke-kun, and now I lose you to Naruto-kun! Though I understand that you will never choose me over the Rokudaime, I am still deeply saddened and grieved that my eternal devotion to you will never be returned!" Lee wailed miserably.

Choji actually stopped eating for a moment to raise his eyebrows. Then, Kiba began bawling too, a sound so awful that even Akamaru put his paws over his ears.

"Goddamn it!" howled Kiba. "Why can't Hinata just forget about Naruto already? It's so obvious that he only cares about Sakura! Why does Hinata keep wasting her time and pining over him?" Kiba sniffed loudly. "Why can't she just get over him and find someone who likes her for a change??"

Now, even Shino's eyebrows rose, though no one could see it under his hood. Choji actually put down his bowl and chopsticks to pat Lee and Kiba on the head.

"There, there," said Choji comfortingly. After a few moments, the two lovesick shinobi, who were already pretty drunk, conked out completely.

"Wow," Shino sighed. "Why do things have to be so complicated?"

* * *

A/N: Heehee :) Such is the web of romantic relationships in which Naruto and Sasuke's will develop…


	7. The Triple Date

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: My take on a classic…

* * *

Chapter 6: The Triple Date

* * *

In the Hokage's office, Naruto, Kakashi, Sai, and two other ANBU were listening to Sasuke's report.

"They are not rogue shinobi," stated Sasuke.

"What makes you so sure?" asked one of the ANBU.

"Missing-nin leave certain tracks," replied Sasuke, not going into more detail.

"Perhaps they merely covered up their tracks?" suggested the other ANBU.

Sasuke shook his head. "The tracks I looked for are not easy to cover. No, they are not missing-nin. They are definitely affiliated with ninja villages, probably Kumo and Iwa as we guessed."

"But neither were they Black Ops on an authorized mission," reported the first ANBU, "though they are undoubtedly elite shinobi in their villages." The ANBU glanced at Sasuke, who nodded in agreement.

Naruto frowned. "Wow, neither Black Ops nor missing-nin…"

"Proper shinobi of Kumo and Iwa, acting without official orders?" mused Sai. "Do the Kages have any knowledge of this group's activities? Do they know but look the other way? Could they be giving unofficial support and subtle encouragement to such groups?"

"The Raikage, at least, seemed genuinely offended at our suggestion that Kumo-nin might've attacked the Hokage," put in Kakashi. "He insisted that the attackers were deliberately trying to frame Kumo. I don't think he has any knowledge of this group's activities."

"Well, that's oddly reassuring," said Naruto.

Kakashi pondered for a moment. Was this the time to tell Naruto? Well, he was Hokage now.

"Naruto, one more thing about Kumo," said Kakashi. "Maintain steady relations with them for now. There's a chance that they might come around on forming closer relations with us and our allies."

Naruto's eyebrow rose. "What makes you think that, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well…" Kakashi sighed. "There was another part of the deal."

"What de—?" began Naruto, but he immediately figured it out. His voice hardened a little as he said, "Kakashi-sensei, what do they want with Sasuke?"

"In light of the Hyuga incident, they agreed not to seek blood retribution," said Kakashi. "However, they still want payback of some sort for the attempt on the Eight-Tails."

Naruto's eyes narrowed further. "So the deal was…?"

"Sasuke must serve as a shinobi of Kumo for a year," said Kakashi. "He must begin that year of service within a month from now."

"What!?" demanded Naruto. "But then—"

"Such a deal must involve putting a seal of some sort on Sasuke," said Sai, frowning. "A seal that would incapacitate or even kill him if he disobeyed Kumo during that time."

"Of course," said Kakashi.

"NO!" cried Naruto. "That's sending Sasuke into a lions' den with a knife at his throat!"

"I don't think there will be a problem," said Kakashi calmly. "They promised to treat Sasuke as an ally, as long as he performs his duties."

"But what if there's foul play?" objected Naruto. "Sasuke would be defenseless!"

"Naruto," interrupted Sasuke. He had expected something like this. "Trust is always in high demand and short supply. If you want someone to trust you, you have to trust them."

Naruto scowled. He knew that, but Sasuke's life would be on the line.

"You won't be going immediately, Sasuke," said Kakashi. "But when you do, keep this in mind: Don't let them see any more of your abilities than absolutely necessary. Kumo will probably send you on all sorts of difficult missions, but it would be nice if you could keep a few things from them."

"Of course," replied Sasuke. He would have to prepare carefully before walking into that lions' den.

"Also," Kakashi went on, "despite the Raikage's aversion to all this, there are some in Kumo who are interested in seeing how you behave. If you make a good impression on them, they may feel more inclined to trust Konoha and especially the Rokudaime. You realize that too, of course."

Sasuke nodded, but said Rokudaime just scowled more. He knew that too, but he felt that they were asking too much of Sasuke. How could Sasuke make a good impression on people who hated him and held his life in their hands?

"One last thing, Sasuke," said Kakashi. "The Kumo and Iwa shinobi who attacked Naruto and the Mizukage probably believe they're doing the right thing for their villages. But we're being attacked by village-affiliated ninja acting behind their own Kages' backs, which puts us in an awkward position."

"I'll find out as much as I can," said Sasuke.

"Remember, Sasuke," Naruto cut in, "the most important thing is to come back alive."

"Don't worry," said Sasuke. "Besides, I'm not going just yet. I have time enough to get prepared."

* * *

That evening, Naruto found Sasuke on the training grounds, already preparing new strategies and techniques for his year of service to Kumo. Sasuke immediately stopped what he was doing when he sensed Naruto coming.

Naruto scowled. "Hey, teme, what are you up to?" he demanded.

"You'll see," smirked Sasuke.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyways, we usually get together for dinner on Friday nights, whoever of us are in Konoha at the moment. You wanna come?"

"Okay." Sasuke figured that "we" meant Teams 7, 8, 10, and Guy, plus Sai of course. No, Sai did not need to be counted separately, Sasuke reminded himself. Sai was part of Team 7, as Naruto had said.

Naruto and Sasuke went to the restaurant, where Sai was already waiting.

"Who else is here right now?" wondered Naruto.

"We are!" came three familiar voices, and Sakura, Ino, and Hinata joined the boys.

"Well, how pleasant. We have the same number of men and women," observed Sai. "I read in a book that this is called a 'group date.'"

"That's only if we're all couples," corrected Naruto, rolling his eyes—and completely missing the sudden awkwardness around the table.

Eyebrows were twitching everywhere. Ino glanced at Sasuke, trying to catch Sasuke's eye. Sakura glanced at Ino, envying Ino's single status. Hinata glanced at Sakura, fearing that Sakura's loyalty to Naruto was wavering by the minute. Sasuke, oblivious to all this, was just fighting a mad urge to giggle; Sai's utter cluelessness made for wonderful comic relief.

Meanwhile, Sai said, "But I think the girls agree with the term 'group date.' Why else would they all be glancing at each other like that? Well, except for Beautiful, who is looking at Homo."

Immediately, several things happened.

One, the girls started in surprise at Sai's referring to Sasuke as "Homo."

Two, Sasuke, wondering who "Beautiful" was, looked around to see who was looking at him.

Three, Sasuke, upon seeing that Ino was looking at him, thought, _Sai thinks Ino is beautiful? And she likes him too. Wow, that's just perfect._

Four, Sasuke snorted—actually _snorted_—at the idea of his replacement and his (supposedly) former fan girl as a couple.

Five, everyone wondered whether Sasuke had just _snorted_ at Ino being called "Beautiful" or himself being called "Homo."

Six, everyone immediately eliminated the second possibility and settled on the first.

Seven, Ino's heart shattered into a million pieces.

Eight, Sakura's heart leapt in guilty pleasure.

Nine, Hinata's quick eyes noticed Eight momentarily written on Sakura's face.

Ten, Naruto wondered why the girls were acting so weird.

Naruto decided that it was beyond his ability to understand girls and so ignored their odd behavior. Instead, he admonished, "Sai, stop calling Sasuke 'Homo.'"

"Why?" asked Sai. "You and Sakura do not mind my nicknames."

"Well, Sasuke's not me and Sakura-chan, now is he?" snapped Naruto.

Sasuke hated how that sounded. It was another reminder that Naruto, Sakura, and Sai shared something in which he had no part. While he had been far away, they had been getting to know each other, getting used to each other, and accepting each other's quirks.

"Very well, I will refrain from giving Sasuke a nickname," said Sai.

"Good," said Naruto. "Now, let's talk about something else. How about catching Sasuke up on things?"

For the next few hours, Sasuke heard about every remotely interesting thing, big or small, significant or trivial, that had happened in Konoha in his absence: local news, gossip, missions, crazy fun on days off, etc. Naruto, Sakura, and Ino talked the most; Hinata filled in details; and Sai corrected exaggerations. As the five reminisced, they fell into arguing about and laughing at their own exploits and escapades. Sasuke listened pleasantly to their chatter, until an unpleasant thought intruded.

It seemed to Sasuke that Naruto was mentioning Sai a lot: how Sai cared about friendship and wanted to form bonds; how Sai appreciated people's company and tried to be likeable; how Sai strived to win approval and acceptance from others; etc. Sasuke wondered why Naruto was emphasizing how much he—Naruto—preferred Sai's sociable attitude to Sasuke's own aloof habits. Was Naruto suggesting that Sasuke should start learning from Sai?

Of course, Naruto was suggesting nothing of the sort. Naruto only wanted Sasuke and Sai to get along, but it seemed to Naruto that things were not going well. First, Sai had gone out of his way to emphasize the pain that Sasuke's betrayal had caused. Now, Sai was calling Sasuke "Homo" and expecting Sasuke to tolerate it. Naruto wanted Sasuke to know that Sai was really a good person who wanted to be on good terms with everyone. Naruto wanted Sasuke to know that Sai, as a part of Team 7, wanted to get along not only with Naruto and Sakura but also with Sasuke.

The difference was that while Sasuke wondered if there was still room for him in Team 7's collective heart, in Naruto's mind, Sasuke had always been there.

* * *

A/N: A simple misunderstanding. But in a few chapters, you'll see why it matters ;)

A/N 2: I have no clue what Sasuke's new technique might be. I know nothing about making up techniques, strategies, battle scenes (which I just avoid writing), etc. At any rate, I'm sure Sasuke can develop whatever technique he needs, so I'm not gonna worry about the details.


	8. The Harem Date

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: It's coming… *evil chuckle*

* * *

Chapter 7: The Harem Date

* * *

After a morning of studying up on every bit of information that Konoha had on Kumo, Sasuke was taking a lunch break with Naruto when the latter suddenly let out a long, deep sigh.

"What is it, dobe?" asked Sasuke.

"The leader of Iron Country asked Gaara for a meeting," said Naruto, frowning. "We're not entirely sure what he wants, but we think he has concerns about our alliance."

"Those concerns being?" prompted Sasuke.

"He just doesn't trust our intentions," said Naruto. "Iron Country may be a neutral nation, but it's still affected by the ninja villages' actions. Our alliance is for peace, but if there's even a slight chance that we might take united military action…"

"With three of the five Great Villages already in, you'd be unstoppable," finished Sasuke.

"Precisely," said Naruto. He sighed. "Back in the old days, only during wartime did ninja villages make major alliances. When peace came, we all thought it was a blessing that everyone just did their own thing and minded their own business."

"Until Akatsuki made clear the need for cooperation in addressing common threats," reflected Sasuke. "But a large-scale, permanent, peacetime alliance is uncharted territory. No wonder Iron Country doesn't really know what to make of you."

"But if they already don't trust our stated intentions, what else can we say to convince them?" demanded Naruto, frustrated.

"Say that you won't leave them in the dark. They don't have to join the alliance or sign on with your goals, but let them listen in on your meetings or something," suggested Sasuke. "Let them hear what you say and how you say it. The more they know, the less they suspect."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Hey, that's an idea! But…"

"If they're not part of the alliance, you don't have to let them talk," added Sasuke. "Besides, since this is a peacetime alliance and not a military one, it's not like you'll be sharing secrets or scheming."

"Yeah!" agreed Naruto. "You know, I think this could work! I'll suggest it to Gaara, and we'll get the Mizukage's and Konan's input. Maybe we can offer that to other villages that aren't sure but want to know what we're about!"

"Slow down, dobe," Sasuke chuckled. "Start with Iron Country. They're a samurai nation, not a ninja village, and they have a history of neutrality. They fit well into the role of interested but unallied observer."

"Yeah," said Naruto. "Wow, an alliance that conducts its discussions out in the open, where everyone can see it… This really is something new, huh?"

"Like I said, uncharted territory," said Sasuke. "But I think you're starting to chart it quite well."

"Heh heh, thanks, Sasuke," Naruto grinned. Then, he frowned again. "Uncharted territory…"

Sasuke knew what was coming next.

"I just got you back, and already you have to leave again," said Naruto bitterly. _And go into so much danger…_

"I'll be here for a while yet," Sasuke reminded him. "And a year's not forever." _Besides, it's different this time. I'm just going away for a while. I'm a Konoha shinobi now, not a criminal on the run, or a missing-nin you have to chase, or a traitor you have to hunt down._

"Yeah…" _We still have a little time together, Sasuke…_

"Besides, it's not like you'll be alone when I leave. Everyone else'll still be here." _Keep having your fun times with the others, like those adventures you were talking about last night. Keep enjoying Sai's agreeable, outgoing company. There'll be moments when you forget I'm even gone._

"Yeah, that's true." _While I wait for you to come back, they'll wait with me, so I won't be lonely._

For a few moments, the two ate in silence. Then, Sasuke noticed Naruto growing pensive. When Naruto was done, he put down his chopsticks and stared blankly at his lunch box.

"What now?" demanded Sasuke.

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto looked down and held his head in his hands.

"I know what responsibility and leadership mean," said Naruto quietly. "Still, that feeling I get when I send anyone into danger or when I think about anything that might threaten the village… If I make a mistake, any mistake, no matter how small…"

"Naruto, you can't possibly anticipate everything that might happen," said Sasuke. "The most you can do is to prepare as well as you can for whatever might come."

Naruto nodded, smiling a little. Those were simple words that anybody would have said to him. But they meant something special because they were coming from Sasuke. Words of support and comfort from his old teammate, rival, and friend…

It meant that Sasuke was with him.

* * *

That Friday night, Naruto was meeting with Temari and ambassadors from Kiri and Ame. The regular shinobi were all out on missions. Hinata was on a training trip with her students. Sasuke had forgotten about the weekly dinner gathering. That left only Sakura and Ino, who went to find Sasuke at his apartment. But since he had already started making dinner, they had been invited to eat with him and his teammates. Presently, while Sasuke and Jugo were cooking, Karin was "entertaining their guests."

"So, tell me," said Karin. "How did Sasuke come to be acquainted with a couple of hookers?"

"What!!?" shrieked Sakura. "I'm Sasuke-kun's old teammate, Sakura! You met me, remember?"

"Not really," replied Karin coolly. "Your chakra's not worth remembering."

"Why you—!" fumed Sakura.

Karin ignored Sakura and turned to Ino. "And who are you supposed to be?" demanded Karin.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino. I'm Sasuke-kun's old classmate, and I'm the most beautiful kunoichi in our year," declared Ino arrogantly.

"That would be me, Ino-pig," corrected Sakura. "Plus, I'm also the smartest kunoichi in our year."

"Well, that proves my observation," remarked Karin, "that Konoha kunoichi are neither beautiful nor smart by any standards except their own remarkably low ones."

"You bitch!!" screeched Ino.

"So, if you're not hookers," Karin went on, "then why do you dye your hair weird and dress like sluts?"

"Are you calling me a slut?" demanded Ino.

"Are you saying that you are?" Karin shot back.

Ino fumed but controlled her temper. "I think you're just jealous of me," declared Ino, smiling sweetly.

"And I think the sun rises in the west," quipped Karin. "Seriously, Blondie, even Pink here is prettier than you."

"Well, we're both way prettier than you," countered Sakura, not letting Karin turn her and Ino against each other.

"You think too highly of yourselves," said Karin, completely unruffled. "I care nothing for your opinion of me. The man with the best chakra I've ever seen chose me to be his companion."

"Oh please, you're so not Sasuke-kun's type," said Sakura immediately.

"Besides, why would a hot guy like him settle for an ugly bitch like you?" added Ino.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't care if he has _romantic_ interest in me," said Karin quickly, back in denial. "I'm not a desperate fangirl like you Konoha twits."

"Oh, really?" teased Sakura, knowing that Karin was lying. "You're not the least attracted to Sasuke-kun? You don't think he's hot, or strong, or cool, or totally amazing?"

"You don't stare at his gorgeous face or gaze into his dark, arresting eyes?" Ino giggled. "You don't watch his hair brush his cheeks or gawk at his superhot body when you get the chance?"

"That's disgusting! Stop describing him like a piece of meat in a butcher's shop!" said Karin quickly, but even she could not suppress a momentarily blush.

"You're blushing!" cried Sakura triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"You do like Sasuke-kun," taunted Ino, grinning accusingly.

"Not everyone is as stupid and shallow as you bimbos!" babbled Karin.

Just then, the kitchen door opened, and out sauntered Sasuke and Jugo. Jugo, who had been listening amusedly to the girls' conversation, marveled at the way Sasuke pretended he had not heard a thing.

"Dinner's ready," said Sasuke.

"Did you hear Pink and Blondie fawn all over you?" said Karin, trying to embarrass Sakura and Ino.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Sasuke blandly. "Sakura's with Naruto, and Ino likes Sai."

"Wow, nice taste, Konoha twits," scoffed Karin. "The scruffy, whiskered fox-boy and the grey-skinned, belly-baring freako."

Sasuke almost snorted again. "Stop being insulting, Karin," said Sasuke, trying to hide his amusement. At this rate, between Sai and Karin, he was going to lose every shred of dignity he had ever had.

Jugo chuckled at the whole thing, while Ino babbled that she had no particular affection for Sai and Sakura retreated into guilty silence at the mention of Naruto. But Karin was much reassured; these Konoha girls were not a threat. With whatever reason or excuse, Sasuke had dismissed them himself.

* * *

On his way back home after the meeting, Naruto paused beneath Sasuke's window and listened to the dinner conversation within. Naruto could hear Sakura, Ino, and that Karin girl quarreling, as well as the occasional half-hearted—and completely ignored—entreaty for peace from Sasuke. Sasuke and his friend Jugo must be enjoying the show, thought Naruto, chuckling to himself.

For some reason, Naruto could not bring himself to knock on Sasuke's door and join them, though it was the most natural thing to do.

Why? Naruto could not say.

_That teme,_ thought Naruto, still chuckling inwardly. _He never appreciates his fan girls. But even he's gonna have a girlfriend eventually…maybe Ino or Karin if they're lucky._ Naruto laughed out loud. _It'd be fun if it were Ino. We could have a double wedding, me and Sakura-chan, and Sasuke and Ino…_ Naruto frowned. That idea sent an odd, unpleasant twinge through him. It was not Ino specifically…

_Things won't be the same when we both have girlfriends,_ realized Naruto, drifting off on a tangent. _We won't have as much time for each other. We'll trust them above all others, if they're really good relationships that can go somewhere. We'll be one notch lower on each other's priority lists. I'll have someone besides Sasuke, and Sasuke will have someone besides me…_ There was that twinge again.

Naruto stopped his thoughts in their tracks. What on earth was he thinking? Surely, any guy had to balance his time between his girlfriend and his buddies? Surely, having love lives would not prevent him and Sasuke from being friends? Spending too much time on romance and not enough on friends was something that girls did; guys were the other way around, right?

So what was this strange feeling in Naruto's chest, this feeling so like…envy?

* * *

A/N: And so begins the transition from friendship into wuv :3

A/N 2: Hmm… Sai and Karin should have a "contest of the insulters" }:D


	9. The Hot Springs

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: The "contest of the insulters" became more of a tag-team. And, of course, it had to happen at…

* * *

Chapter 8: The Hot Springs

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were sprawled on the grass after an evening spar, exhilarated but exhausted. Sasuke was lying on his back, watching the setting sun turn the sky red and the clouds gold. It was a wondrous sight. Naruto was lying beside Sasuke, watching the evening breeze ruffle Sasuke's hair and the waning light cast shadows across his face. That too was a wondrous sight. Sasuke was back in Konoha and back to normal, and everything was just like old times… It was a perfect moment that Naruto wished could last forever.

"NARUTO!!!" came a familiar screech that shattered the evening tranquility.

Naruto sat up, and Sasuke turned his head toward the noise. Sakura, all dressed up, her hair and makeup done, was stomping towards them.

"Sakura-chan?" cried Naruto, alarmed. "What is it?"

"What is it!!??" shrieked Sakura. "What do you think it is!? You forgot our dinner tonight!! I've been waiting for you for half an hour!!!"

Naruto paused for a moment. _Oh yeah,_ he remembered. Sakura had suggested that they go to a fancy restaurant that evening. They had been having unofficial dates like these for a few months, but Naruto had forgotten all about their plans tonight. Wow, he had actually forgotten a date with Sakura!

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan!" said Naruto quickly. "I was just sparring with Sasuke, and I just lost track of time…" But his apology was not entirely sincere. He was sorry that he had forgotten about Sakura, but he had truly enjoyed how he had spent the last half-hour.

"Well, all right," said Sakura, relenting. Since Sasuke had just gotten back, she would be lenient to Naruto. Still… Sakura had planned something extra special for Naruto tonight—partly out of guilt at her own inability to keep Sasuke out of her head. Even now, her gaze was wandering to Sasuke…

Sakura cleared her head of such thoughts. "Just remember, both of you, that we're all going to the hot springs together tomorrow," said Sakura.

"Don't worry, we'll be there," said Naruto.

"Is it all right if Karin comes along?" asked Sasuke. "She's not on a mission right now, and I don't want to just ditch her."

"Sure!" said Naruto immediately. "She's more than welcome!"

Sakura sighed inwardly. She would have to put up with Karin again…

* * *

A high wall separated the men's pool—where Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Lee, and Neji were soaking—and the women's pool—where Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and Karin were soaking. Of course, a high wall was not soundproof.

Sakura and Tenten were distracted from their jealous staring at Hinata's chest by a loud comment from the boys' side.

"My, what small dicks all of you have," said Sai loudly. "Except for—bbblublulublub!!" Sai was silenced when Naruto and Kiba shoved his head underwater.

"Except for who, I wonder?" whispered Ino to Sakura.

"Ino!" admonished Sakura.

"Ah, that proves my suspicion," declared Karin loudly, "that Konoha men are as well-endowed as Konoha women—that is to say, not at all."

"You insulting bitch!" snapped Sakura.

"You, Pink, are a perfect example of what I mean," said Karin. "Just look at your own unsightly, flat—"

Sakura raised her fist.

"—forehead," amended Karin quickly.

"I must say, Karin-san, it sounded like you were going to say 'rack,'" came Sai's voice again. Snickering broke out on the boys' side.

"I'M COMING TO KILL YOU ALL!!" roared Sakura.

"Any excuse to see naked boys, huh?" quipped Karin.

"You b—!!" began Sakura.

"Neji-kun, Shino-kun, Sasuke-kun, it's okay to laugh," interrupted Sai's voice. "You'll die if you keep trying to hold it in. And Lee-kun, you should take a break from training and borrow some books from Kakashi-senpai. It's not normal for a boy of your age to look that clueless about matters of sexuali—" The rest of Sai's comment was drowned out by uproarious laughter from Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji.

"Wait, I don't think I'm clear about who's on whose team," said Karin. "Now, let me see if I have this right: Boobs is with Dog-boy and Bug-boy; Hairbuns is with Bowl-Cut and Cover-Girl; Blondie's with Gluttony and Sloth; and Pink's with Fox-boy and Belly-Dancer."

By the time Karin finished, the boys' pool was a cacophony of cackling and fuming.

"Ahaha! Cover-Girl! Gluttony and Sloth! That's just perfect!" laughed Kiba.

"Look who's talking, Dog-boy," retorted Shikamaru.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with canine pride," declared Kiba.

"There's nothing wrong with appreciating your food either!" cried Choji defensively.

"Cover-Girl?" said Lee curiously. "Is that a reference to your extraordinarily long and well-kept hair, Neji-kun?"

"Shut it, Bowl-Cut," snapped Neji.

"Belly-Dancer!" chortled Naruto. "Oh, she got you good, Sai!"

"I admit, Karin-san's nicknaming ability surpasses my own," said Sai humbly.

"By the way, Karin," said Naruto, "what's your nickname for Sasuke?"

"I-I don't have a nickname for Sasuke!" came Karin's obviously untruthful reply.

"Yeah, right," Naruto rolled his eyes. He added in an audible undertone, "It's probably 'Sex-god' or something…"

THWACK! "Can it, usuratonkachi," snapped Sasuke.

And, on the girls' side…

"Ah, Hinata, you are so lucky," Sakura sighed. "I wish I had your…you know."

"Uh, heh heh…" Hinata blushed furiously.

"Do not worry, Sakura-san! You are beautiful as you are!" came Lee's voice. "By the way, Kiba-kun, why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing!" snapped Kiba quickly. "It's your imagination!"

"Ah, I see," said Sai, picking up the hint. "Dog-boy likes Boo—bbllublublubb!!!" Sai's head was again shoved underwater by Kiba.

"You know, this is kind of awkward, talking about private parts and such while we're all sitting naked in a hot spring," remarked Shino bluntly.

"I don't think so at all!" disagreed Ino. "As long as we're all satisfied with ourselves and don't have body image issues—"

"Yeah, very convincing, Madam Anorexia," cut in Karin. "During the one time I had dinner with you, you talked about, what, five diets you've been on?"

"Hey!" cried Ino.

"Seriously, I should give Pink, Blondie, and Boobs new nicknames: Flat, Eating Disorder, and Shy," quipped Karin.

"Now, that's just mean!" cried Tenten.

"Yet, it aptly captures their insecurities," came Sai's voice.

"Girls should be self-confident!" declared Tenten. "Be happy with ourselves and proud of who we are!"

"Says the girl who's already snagged Neji," put in Ino.

"Oh, Hairbuns is dating Cover-Girl?" said Karin. "Well then, tell me, Hairbuns, how does it feel to date a guy with longer hair than you?"

"Oh please, who cares about hair length?" scoffed Tenten. "The most important things in a relationship are mutual affection, and respect, and trust—"

"Stop it, Tenten, you're embarrassing Neji," chuckled Shikamaru.

"Well, Shikamaru, what about you and Temari?" said Tenten. "You two have a lot of tolerance for each other, so there must be fondness and caring—"

"Stop it, Tenten, you're embarrassing Shikamaru," chuckled Neji.

"I wish I had a boyfriend," sighed Ino.

"Keep wishing," said Karin cruelly.

"Oh, Karin," said Ino, smiling sweetly. "We all know which dark-haired, dark-eyed, pale-skinned hottie you like, and I'm sure he doesn't want a _certain_ pair of vile, repulsive, filth-spewing lips anywhere near his mouth."

Trumpet-like snorts sounded from the boys' side.

"Oh, Ino," said Karin, equally sweetly. "We all know whose 'gorgeous face' and 'superhot body' you like gawking at, and I'm sure he doesn't want a _certain_ colorless, makeup-caked, half-hair-covered face to traumatize his 'arresting eyes.'"

"I hope you are talking about Sasuke-kun," came Sai's voice, "because I pray to God that you are not talking about me."

That did it.

On the boys' side, Sasuke clambered out of the pool, grabbed a towel, and ran for the changing room. After a moment of confusion, Naruto sprang up, wrapped his towel around his waist, and ran after Sasuke. As soon as Naruto shut the changing room door behind them, Sasuke walked over to the wall, leaned his head against it, and began laughing his head off.

Naruto watched in awe, listening to Sasuke laugh and laugh, not wildly or crazily, but in genuine mirth. Then, Naruto began laughing too, until both of them were just laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Then, Sasuke turned towards Naruto—and Naruto's breath caught at the sight. Sasuke, with laughter lighting up his features, mirth dancing in his eyes, and water dripping across his face and hair and body, as he tilted his head slightly to look at Naruto…

Suddenly, Naruto realized just how very confused he was.

* * *

A/N: Okay, that's the last Sasuke-wet-and-naked scene XD. Had to add some physical attraction, without going into full lust mode… Hope it worked…


	10. Drunk in a Bar

Disclaimer: Kishi owns Naruto.

A/N: Always, always, _always_ there's a scene where someone is…

* * *

Chapter 9: Drunk in a Bar

* * *

Overall, Sasuke's return was going smoothly. Most of Konoha welcomed him back with at least civility, for Naruto's sake, and Sasuke's own behavior was impeccable. The shinobi of Konoha were even more forgiving, as they knew how Sasuke had saved the Rokudaime's life.

But now, something strange was happening. Sasuke had only two weeks left before he had to leave for Kumo, yet, for some reason, Naruto was avoiding him.

Well, it was not that hard to comprehend, Sasuke figured. Naruto was getting over the newness of having Sasuke back and was returning to his old habits, which apparently involved a lot of hanging out with Sai. Well, Naruto himself had said that Sai was more pleasant company. Sasuke had been gone for years, and it would take more than a few weeks to find his place again.

For now, Sasuke focused on preparing for his year in Kumo.

* * *

Sakura noticed that Naruto was avoiding her as well, and she feared the worst.

Naruto must have figured out that Sakura still had a crush on Sasuke.

Sakura realized that her behavior had been painfully obvious at times. She looked at Sasuke a lot, chatted and laughed more when he was around, and basically acted too much like Ino or Karin. Naruto must have noticed—or one of their friends had noticed and pointed it out to him. He seemed to be avoiding Sasuke too, which made Sakura feel even worse. Was she making Naruto resent Sasuke?

* * *

It was hard to say whether Sasuke or Sakura was further from the truth.

* * *

_When did it happen? Before he left? While he was gone? After he returned? When? When did these feelings take on this intensity…this intensity that goes beyond friendship?_

Such were the thoughts running through Naruto's head as he avoided both his best friend and his almost-girlfriend.

What was he supposed to do? That he might be attracted to certain guys as well as to certain girls—that was okay. That the guy to whom he was attracted was Sasuke—now, that was just awkward.

* * *

Naruto was in his office when Jugo came with a request.

"Sasuke told me about the deal with Kumo," said Jugo. "Please, let me go with him. I also took part in the attempt on the Eight-Tails."

Naruto shook his head. "They only asked for Sasuke. Besides, it's a lot of danger he's going into, and I don't want to risk anyone else. After all, you're a Konoha ninja now."

"But—" objected Jugo.

"That's my final decision," said Naruto firmly.

Jugo frowned. "What do you make of Kumo's intentions? What are Sasuke's chances of returning alive?"

"Kumo's intentions seem straightforward enough!" snapped Naruto, losing his patience. He did not want to think about Sasuke's chances of returning alive when they were less than one-hundred percent. "Sasuke will do missions for them as reparation for the attempt on the Eight-Tails, and, as long as he does what they say, they won't harm him! It's that simple!"

Jugo was taken aback by Naruto's sudden temper. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," said Jugo quickly. "I understand, and thank you for granting me this audience."

"Yeah, no prob," said Naruto, a little absently. Then, he looked up and said, "By the way, don't tell that Karin chick—or anyone else—about where Sasuke's going." Naruto did not want to deal with the girls' loud worries on top of his own silent ones.

"I know," said Jugo. "Sasuke said that too."

* * *

That afternoon, Sai came to Naruto's office.

"Which do you want first, good news or bad news?" asked Sai.

"Bad news," said Naruto immediately.

"Suna, which has been on the alert for threats against the Kazekage, made a move against the group that attacked you and the Mizukage," said Sai. "Since it seems that the assassins observe their targets extensively before making a move, Kankuro led an operation to lure them out."

"And it was unsuccessful?" said Naruto.

"Actually, they caught one of the Iwa-nin," said Sai. "Unfortunately, attempts to make him talk are yielding no results."

"Huh," said Naruto. "Well, that figures. Kakashi-sensei said that these people believe they're doing the right thing for their villages. What about mind-reading techniques?"

"The captured Iwa-nin is resistant to them," said Sai. "He's probably in his village's Black Ops."

"But Black Ops are under direct control of the Kage!" cried Naruto. "And yet, an Iwa Black Op is part of a group like this? Has Suna informed Iwa? The Tsuchikage can't keep insisting that no Iwa-nin is involved, if one of his own Black Ops is missing!"

"Well, that's exactly what the Tsuchikage is insisting." Sai frowned. "Also, the captured Iwa-nin is trying to claim that he's not from Iwa but rather stole Iwa's techniques. He knows that his actions could spell trouble for his village, and he's trying to protect it. "

Naruto frowned too. These ninja were using any means necessary to defend their villages from perceived threats. How could he dissuade such people from seeing him as a threat? Also, was the Tsuchikage giving a free pass or even implicit support to such groups, or was he merely reluctant to admit that he had lost control of his own shinobi?

"What's the good news?" asked Naruto.

"The leader of Iron Country met with Gaara, and he was pleasantly surprised by the offer to be present at the alliance's meetings," said Sai. "It's quite different from how things were done before. I think he's already starting to realize that we're not up to anything nefarious."

"Great," said Naruto. _It was Sasuke who first gave me the idea… Sasuke… _"Hey, Sai?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"After work tonight, we're going to the bar, and I'm going to get very, very drunk."

* * *

As promised, Naruto was very, very drunk.

"Sai, I think I'm going insane," said Naruto, sloppily taking another swig.

"Considering how much alcohol you've had, that's not surprising," replied Sai.

"No, I mean, I'm insane even when I'm sober," said Naruto. He let out an odd giggle. "I don't think I'm that crazy about Sakura-chan anymore."

_Thank goodness Sakura isn't here to hear Naruto's babbling,_ thought Sai. Aloud, Sai said, "Ah, that's unfortunate. She certainly likes you a lot."

"Yeah, she'll be really pissed if she finds out who I like instead," Naruto giggled again.

"And who might that be?" asked Sai indulgently.

"A very special person," said Naruto, with a dreamy smile. "Pretty face. Great body. Soft, velvety dark hair. Pale, perfect skin."

_HOLY CRAP, NARUTO RETURNS HINATA'S FEELINGS???_ Sai had not been expecting that, even though Naruto was babbling alcohol-induced nonsense…

"Dark eyes that just draw you in," Naruto went on.

_Wait…it's not Hinata._ Now, Sai was confused. Who else was there? Dark eyes…Tenten? No, there was no way that Naruto would be crushing on Neji's girl. Wait, maybe it was not a girl. Maybe it was…

Sai suddenly began edging away.

"Sai?" said Naruto, now sporting a ridiculous grin on his face.

"Y-Yes?" said Sai nervously.

"I think I like Sasuke," said Naruto.

_Oh, thank God, it's not me,_ was Sai's first thought.

Sai's second thought was to thank God again that Sasuke was not here right now.

"You…like Sasuke-kun?" repeated Sai, wondering what on earth was going through Naruto's inebriated mind.

"Yep," said Naruto, sighing like a schoolgirl. "I love him. I hope he loves me too."

"I'm sure he loves you, but not like that," said Sai.

Naruto began bawling.

"I-I mean, I'm sure he cares about you a lot, and you're very special to him!" said Sai quickly.

"Well, I'd better be very special to him!" said Naruto, with a loud sniff. "He came back to Konoha and went back to his old self and is nice to everyone now, and it's all because of ME!"

"Yes, that's your power, Naruto," said Sai, his tone ameliorating.

"And he's very special to me too!" said Naruto, between hiccups. "Everything's more wonderful with him back. I feel like I can do anything, if he's with me." Naruto paused to burp. Then, the relentless rant continued, "I want to always have him with me. I want to share everything with him and only him."

"Uh…" Sai was at a loss for words. _Is this really happening…?_

"But now he's gonna leave again!" Naruto began sobbing in earnest. "And he's going into so much danger! It's not fair! I just got him back, and now the bastard's gonna go off and die!"

"C'mon, Naruto, let's get out of here," said Sai. Other people in the bar were beginning to cast curious glances at Naruto, but drunkenly babbling about being in love with his best friend was probably not something that Naruto really wanted to do in public. Sai pulled Naruto's arm over his shoulders and helped Naruto out of the bar and back towards the Hokage's residence.

Sai hoped that Naruto would wake up in the morning with no memories of their conversation—and no bizarre crush on Sasuke.

As Sai and Naruto staggered along, Sai suddenly saw Sasuke coming down the path. Sai prayed that Naruto's mouth would stay shut and say nothing to freak Sasuke out. Luckily, Naruto still had at least a tiny shred of sobriety.

"Hey, is that Sasuke I see?" said Naruto groggily. He turned to Sai and said, "I really shouldn't be around him right now, should I?"

"No, you should not," Sai firmly agreed.

Sasuke frowned. What on earth did that mean?

"Excuse us," said Sai, giving Sasuke a quick nod. Then, Sai led Naruto off.

Sasuke continued to frown as he watched the two disappear into the night.

* * *

In the morning, to Sai's relief, Naruto did not remember a thing about the previous night. Better yet, Naruto did not mention liking Sasuke again. But Naruto continued to avoid both Sasuke and Sakura, spending most of his spare time with Sai instead. During group gatherings, he tended to avoid looking at either Sasuke or Sakura, even when he was talking to them. Their friends began to wonder…

But, before anything could be sorted out, the time came for Sasuke to leave for Kumo.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry, there'll be plenty of relationship development while they're apart^^.


	11. Another Parting

Chapter 10: Another Parting

* * *

"For one year, you will serve as a shinobi for Kumo as punishment for attempting to kidnap the Eight-Tails. During that time, you also have three assignments from Konoha: to reveal as little of your powers as possible while completing your missions; to make a good impression on the shinobi and residents of Kumo on behalf of Konoha; and to find out what you can about the group that attempted to assassinate the Mizukage and myself. Watch yourself carefully, as a seal of obedience will be placed on you."

"I know."

"Remember this. The most important thing is that you make it back."

"I got that, dob—"

"Uchiha Sasuke, I, as the Rokudaime Hokage, am commanding you to _return alive_."

"…Understood."


	12. A Strange Conversation

A/N: Nah, I'd have more than just that for an update^^. Ah, the second arc will be fun :). There'll be lots of jumping around between Kumo and Konoha.

Plot note: As you've noticed, this story is based on manga material up to the beginning of the Kage Summit arc (chapter 458-ish). I pretty much had the story planned then, so I'm not accounting for most stuff in more recent chapters (which just tend to inspire depressing one-shots anyways…)

* * *

Chapter 11: A Strange Conversation

* * *

"So, you have come at last, Uchiha Sasuke?" remarked the Raikage coldly. "One day later, and Konoha would have failed to uphold its end of the deal."

Sasuke said nothing. It was obvious that he was here now.

The Raikage looked more closely at Sasuke, and his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he stood up, stomped over to Sasuke, grabbed his collar, and shouted, "What the hell is Konoha trying to pull? Who are you, imposter? Where is the real Uchiha brat?"

Sasuke's eyebrows rose in confusion. "What?" asked Sasuke dumbly.

"You're not Uchiha!" declared the Raikage. "Don't expect me to believe that you're that bastard, whose chakra was much colder and darker than yours!"

Sasuke briefly flashed his Sharingan, adding, "Obviously, I've changed, or else I wouldn't be here."

The Raikage frowned, as if pondering whether to believe Sasuke. Apparently, he decided that he did, because he slammed his fist into Sasuke's stomach and then threw him down on the floor.

"Okay then, Uchiha," said the Raikage, as Sasuke winced in pain and held his middle, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Again, Sasuke said nothing. The Raikage could do just that, if he really wanted to.

"Answer me, you lowlife!" snapped the Raikage.

"You have my powers at your disposal for a year, in return for sparing my life," said Sasuke, getting back to his feet. "As stated in your agreement with Konoha."

"Who cares about agreements and deals?? What about justice!?" demanded the Raikage. "You tried to kidnap my little brother!"

"And I come ready to serve my punishment," said Sasuke softly.

"Your punishment should be death!" spat the Raikage. "But the damned Hokage insists on protecting you—you, a common criminal that the world should be rid of! I'm surprised you're even here. Seemed like that fox-brat would let his precious friend get away with anything."

Sasuke thought that was not fair to Naruto. "The Hokage believes in atonement," said Sasuke. "He also believes in forgiveness."

"He can believe in whatever the hell he wants!" said the Raikage. "He can empty Konoha's jail onto its streets. He can sleep with a criminal in his bed. But he knows that the only reason why Kumo accepted this deal is because…" The Raikage trailed off.

"Is because Kumo does not want a serious conflict," finished Sasuke. _Not now, so soon after the Akatsuki crisis; not with Naruto, who took down Akatsuki; and not over me, who helped defeat Madara. But there must be more to it than that. Why did Naruto risk trouble with Kumo by taking me back? Why exactly did the Raikage even accept this deal?_

"Hmph," said the Raikage, still wondering who exactly this boy was; even if he was Uchiha Sasuke, he was a completely different person from before. "I admit," the Raikage went on, "I'm curious to see if that fox-brat who came crying and begging for your life actually managed to do you any good."

_I see, Naruto,_ mused Sasuke. _It's not just Konoha's power that you put behind me when you accepted me back. Your ability to bring people to the light has acquired quite a reputation, and you put that reputation behind me as well._ It was oddly humbling to think of how much faith Naruto had in him.

"Rest assured," said the Raikage, snapping Sasuke out of his musings, "that if you're still what you were, we'll have you dead in a heartbeat."

The Raikage gestured to the two Black Ops behind him. One Black Op held a scroll, which he opened and laid out across the Raikage's desk. He made a series of hand signs and then placed his palm on the scroll. The symbols on the scroll glowed, and a circle of symbols appeared on the floor around Sasuke's feet. Sasuke felt an unpleasant prickling. The other Black Op went to stand behind Sasuke, as if to stop Sasuke if he tried to run. But Sasuke had no intention of running.

_There is no future for me, _thought Sasuke, _until I've settled with the demons of my past._

The Raikage stood before Sasuke and made a series of hand signs. An ominous black light glowed around the Raikage's hand.

"This seal will bind you," said the Raikage. "If you disobey an official order or try to betray Kumo, this spell will stop your heart. Do you understand, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The Raikage pushed his palm against Sasuke's chest, directly over his heart. The black light glowed brighter…and then faded. Sasuke could not say whether it was the effect of the spell or his own imagination, but he felt as if a chain were wound around his heart, ready to pull taut and squeeze out every drop of life.

_Not long ago, I wouldn't have cared if that did happen,_ thought Sasuke, _but now I've begun to value my own life…_

* * *

Naruto was still in his office. He was throwing himself into work to avoid thinking about…

Suddenly, Naruto stopped what he was doing, stood up, and turned to the window, gazing at the village spread out below. It was a comforting and reassuring sight…but it did nothing to ease the sudden pressure in his chest. The little voices of worry were back in his head.

"Sasuke… Stay alive… This time, you said you'd come back…"

* * *

Sai was confused—so very, very confused.

Sasuke's third loyalty switch had been his finest yet. It was as if one touch of Naruto's bright warmth had melted away the cold darkness that Sasuke had drawn around himself. That, Sai thought, was a testament to the strength of Naruto and Sasuke's bond. But now, it seemed that there was something more on Naruto's side, and it worried Sai.

That Naruto loved Sasuke—if indeed Naruto's drunken ramblings could be taken seriously—was unexpected. That Sasuke might love Naruto back was highly unlikely.

A knock sounded on Sai's door, and he went to answer it. It was Sakura.

"Sakura?" said Sai, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Sai…can we talk?" asked Sakura nervously.

"Of course," said Sai. "Please, come in."

Sakura came into Sai's apartment, and they sat down on the couches. Sai prayed that Sakura did not want to talk about Naruto or their relationship.

"I-It's about Naruto," began Sakura.

_Uh-oh…_ thought Sai. Since Naruto had never mentioned his mad raving about Sasuke, Sai had decided to pretend that it had never happened. But now, would he have to lie to Sakura?

"I… I think… No, I _know_ that Naruto's been avoiding me," said Sakura.

Sai said nothing.

"I…" Sakura suddenly began sobbing. "We're in trouble, aren't we? Naruto and me…our relationship…"

Sai awkwardly patted Sakura's shoulder, uncertain of what to say.

"I-It's because of Sasuke-kun, isn't it?" whispered Sakura. _Did Naruto notice…how I look at Sasuke-kun sometimes…?_

Sai, interpreting Sakura's words completely differently, started in surprise. _Could it be? _thought Sai. _Does Sakura know about Naruto's feelings for Sasuke? Well, she has known them longer than I have… _"Yes, I think it is because of Sasuke-kun," said Sai cautiously.

Sakura started sobbing again. _That's just great, even Sai noticed! Oh, what's going on? I love Naruto, so why am I letting myself get distracted by Sasuke-kun??_

_Poor Sakura,_ thought Sai. _It must be hard for her. The boy who's always loved her, whom she finally loves back, is turning away from her and developing feelings for his best friend…_

"I won't let Naruto go!" cried Sakura suddenly, wiping at her tears. "I'm going to get him back! I won't let Sasuke-kun come between us!"

Sai considered that for a moment. Then, he nodded his agreement with her plan. After all, it was likely a doomed love on Naruto's part. The sooner Naruto got over it and got back to thinking of Sasuke as a friend, the better. Besides, Naruto could be happy with Sakura. Sai did not want Naruto to give up a promising relationship for an unrequited love.

"Thank you so much, Sai," said Sakura. "Promise me that you will not tell Naruto about this?"

"Of course," replied Sai.

Poor Sai had no clue that Sakura was talking about something else entirely. After all, Sakura had known Naruto and Sasuke far too long to suspect the truth.

* * *

A/N: *evil chuckle* Okay, now I'm just screwing with Team 7 XDDDD.

Edit: Certain additions were made to the last scene to avoid confusion^^


	13. Breakup

A/N: Guess who is about to…

* * *

Chapter 12: Breakup

* * *

The team to which Sasuke had been assigned was to report for duty in an hour, so Sasuke decided to take a quick look around Kumo. The streets were crowded with people going to and fro, but most of them paid no attention to Sasuke. After all, few in Kumo actually knew Uchiha Sasuke's face, and Sasuke had deliberately avoided wearing emblems of Konoha or Uchiha. But Sasuke had not gone far when he saw Killer Bee, accompanied by three others, stumble out of a karaoke bar.

"Look at yourself, Sensei!" snapped a red-haired woman. "You always try to sing, you always get booed down, you always drown your sorrows in alcohol, and you always puke and get kicked out. Spare yourself some grief next time!"

Killer Bee, who was being helped along by the woman and a light-haired man, gurgled incoherently. A second woman, blonde-haired, was walking beside them.

Well, this was not how Sasuke had anticipated meeting Killer Bee again…

Presently, Sasuke was spotted by Killer Bee and his companions.

"Hey, who's that hot guy? I think I've seen his face before," declared Karui loudly, pointing at Sasuke. Several passersby looked around and chuckled.

But Samui frowned at Sasuke and said, "You… I have seen your face—in a Bingo Book. You are…"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Everyone within hearing range froze and turned towards Sasuke. Glaring and muttering broke out among the Kumo villagers, and some off-duty ninja reached for their weapons. But it was Karui who reacted first.

"You bastard! I'm going to kill you!" shrieked Karui, raising her fist and lunging towards Sasuke. Unfortunately, she stumbled because Killer Bee was still leaning on her shoulder.

"Hey, chill, Karui," said Killer Bee, holding Karui back. "I don't know who this guy is, but he's definitely not the Uchiha brat."

_Dear God, not again,_ thought Sasuke. _First the Raikage, and now this guy. What, did I grow a tail or third eye?_

"Sensei, what makes you say this guy's not Uchiha?" asked Omoi, as the onlookers exchanged puzzled glances and murmurs.

"The Uchiha brat's aura was a total mess, all anger and bitterness," said Killer Bee, voice slurred by alcohol. "He looked like someone who'd been tortured in a dungeon for years and had never seen the light of day or something. But this little pretty boy here, he sparkles like a schoolgirl in love."

Karui, Omoi, and the crowd of onlookers burst out laughing.

_WHAT. THE. FUCK,_ thought Sasuke, annoyance surging through him. He was here to show that he had been reformed, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Oh, wait," said Killer Bee, squinting at Sasuke. "That glare does look kinda familiar…"

"I _am_ Uchiha Sasuke. I came to serve Kumo for a year, as punishment for attacking you before," said Sasuke.

"That's great, but I'm too drunk to deal with you or your evil twin right now," said Killer Bee. "If you're still real tomorrow, I'll deal with you then. C'mon, Karui, Omoi, be nice and take me home now."

With that, Karui, Omoi, and Killer Bee went off on their way. Both Karui and Omoi were frowning in confusion as they left.

The gathered onlookers continued to stare at Sasuke. Angry chattering broke out again. Some muttered about what Killer Bee had said. Others began shouting curses at Sasuke. Samui watched Sasuke's expression, which remained completely composed. Then, one Kumo shinobi came up to Sasuke and made to spit on him. At that point, Samui intervened.

"Rudeness is not necessary," Samui reminded the Kumo-nin. "Uchiha is here to pay for his crimes, and if he fails to do so, he will be suitably punished. Raikage-sama has seen to that."

_The chain around my heart,_ thought Sasuke, as the Kumo-nin glared at him but stepped back.

"Enough, there's no need to stand around and stare," said Samui to the crowd. Then, she turned to Sasuke and said, "Come, Uchiha, we'll meet Karui and Omoi at the Raikage's Tower. As you know, you were assigned to my team."

Sasuke nodded. _Because Killer Bee's students would hate me the most…_

However, Samui was no longer quite sure what to think of Sasuke. Whatever she had expected of that infamous criminal, it was not this young man before her now. Coldness and cruelty would show easily on his pale, handsome features, but there was no trace of either. In fact, Samui could see why Killer Bee had said that this boy was like "a schoolgirl in love." Behind the boy's calm, impassive expression were hints of warmth, strength, and determination, as if he had a wonderful little secret that gave him the inner faith and fortitude to overcome any adversity that came his way.

Samui began to wonder. What exactly had caused this great change in Uchiha Sasuke?

* * *

It was evening in Konoha, and most of the staff had left Hokage Tower hours ago. Naruto, however, was still working away in his office.

Presently, Sakura poked her head in.

"Hey, Naruto, you should take a break," suggested Sakura. "Wanna get dinner together?"

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," said Naruto, looking up with a quick smile. "I'm pretty busy here…"

"Is it _that_ urgent?" frowned Sakura.

"Well…" Naruto trailed off. Of course, it was not that urgent. But work took Naruto's mind off of worrying about Sasuke.

"Then, you should at least get something to eat," urged Sakura.

"Yeah, I guess," agreed Naruto, getting up. "Can we go to Ichiraku?"

"Sure," smiled Sakura.

As Naruto and Sakura left Hokage Tower and walked toward the ramen bar, Naruto thought about his situation with Sakura. He did not want to keep pursuing his relationship with her while his feelings towards Sasuke were so strong yet so messed up. But how could Naruto put distance between himself and Sakura without offending her or ruining their friendship?

Naruto and Sakura arrived at Ichiraku, sat down at their usual spots, and made their orders.

"Naruto, what's going on with Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura curiously, while they waited. "He was here for quite a while, and now he's just gone without any warning."

"He's on a classified mission, which he was preparing for earlier. He'll be gone for a while," said Naruto, sticking to his plan to stay vague for now and avoid making others worry.

"Oh," said Sakura.

Their orders came. For a while, they ate in silence. Then, Sakura spoke.

"Um, Naruto?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

"Is…is everything all right?"

"Of course! What makes you think it's not?"

"Well, before Sasuke-kun left, you… Naruto, you avoided me. You avoided talking to me. You avoided looking at me. You avoided being around me. Now, you're working much later than you usually do. Naruto, is something wrong?"

Yes, something was very wrong, thought Naruto, but how could he tell Sakura?

Sakura frowned. "Naruto, if there's anything, anything at all, that you want to talk about…" Sakura half-wanted Naruto to accuse her of liking Sasuke. She herself could neither suppress her feelings nor confess them out loud.

Naruto took a deep breath. He decided to be as honest as he could.

"Actually, there is something, Sakura-chan."

"Tell me, Naruto."

"I… I was really confused at first, and I thought it was my imagination," said Naruto hesitantly. "But now, I'm pretty sure…"

_Here it comes,_ thought Sakura, bracing herself for the accusation.

"I-I think I might like someone else, Sakura-chan," said Naruto.

…_Wait…WHAT!!??_ Sakura could barely process what she had just heard. Naruto liked someone else? _Naruto_ liked someone else!? Naruto was not accusing _her_ of liking someone else but confessing his _own_ liking for someone else!??

"Who?" demanded Sakura.

"I… I can't tell you, Sakura-chan," said Naruto, looking away. _Maybe I'll never tell anyone…_

"Naruto…" Sakura sighed. "Honestly, Naruto… I sort of liked someone else, too."

"That's great!" said Naruto, perking up. "Go after him, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura shook her head, saying, "He's not interested in me. Never was and never will be. Besides, I felt kinda bad about liking him, because all along…" _All along, I wanted to stay with you…_

"Honestly, the one I like isn't interested in me either," confessed Naruto. "It's just that… Because this person exists, and because my feelings exist, I can never be truly loyal to you, Sakura-chan. You deserve someone who is truly loyal to you and only you."

"Wow, Naruto…" Sakura was shocked. Naruto's feelings for this other person seemed much deeper than Sakura's own lingering girlhood crush on Sasuke. Sakura had never wanted to actually give up her relationship with Naruto. She had been sure that she could eventually suppress or banish her remaining feelings for Sasuke. But Naruto… He was going all-or-nothing. It was this person or nobody for him, but he had little hope for this love. Sakura found that terribly tragic.

"Don't worry about me, Sakura-chan!" said Naruto, grinning again. "This person's a good friend of mine and will always be a part of my life!"

Sakura frowned. A good friend? Then…was it someone whom she knew as well?

* * *

A/N: Mwahahahahaaa!!!


	14. A Very Special Person

A/N: I re-read some early Part I chapters, and it makes me so sad to think of how they were then and how they are now! *sobs* I'm so hoping for a happy ending in the canon!!

* * *

Chapter 13: A Very Special Person

* * *

Well, this was unexpected.

Karui still wanted to bash Sasuke's face in, but every time she thought of her sensei's "schoolgirl in love" comment, she burst into uncontrollable laughter. Omoi was secretly pleased to see that the ninja over whom Uzumaki Naruto had shed tears was not a complete bastard. Samui decided to reserve judgment until they had a sense of Sasuke's behavior on missions.

As it was, Sasuke behaved perfectly. He faced danger without complaint, offered helpful advice without being asked, and seemed eager to put his powers to their best use. The Kumo-nin had expected Sasuke to be bitter and resentful about working for Kumo with a noose around his neck, and the best they had expected was that he would obey orders without mouthing off. But an actively cooperative team member? That was something else. Naturally, their curiosity was piqued.

One evening, after they returned from a mission, Omoi had a chat with Sasuke.

"Hey, Uchiha," said Omoi. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?" said Sasuke.

"What happened to you?" asked Omoi.

Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You've turned into a completely different person," said Omoi. "How'd that happen?"

Sasuke simply shrugged. Looking back, he was not entirely sure himself.

"Why did you try to kill our sensei?" demanded Omoi. "Just because someone killed your family?"

"Yes…" said Sasuke slowly. "I suppose that's what it was, back then."

"How does that make any sense?" cried Omoi. "Did you think it was okay when someone killed your parents? If not, then why did you think it was okay for you to kill other people?"

"Okay or not, it happened," said Sasuke bluntly. "That was the only thing that was real to me."

Omoi frowned.

"My clan made peace with Senju and rejected Madara, yet they were still treated like criminals," said Sasuke. "When they tried to fight back, they were killed. Why? To maintain the balance of power in the ninja world? To prevent a war? To let others live? Could I let the world enjoy a peace that was built upon my family's corpses?"

Omoi pointed out the obvious flaw in this logic. "But most people knew nothing about any of this."

"Pain, anger, and hatred left no room for thinking straight," said Sasuke. "Like I said, all I knew was that my family was dead, my brother was dead, and Konoha had lied to me. I simply stopped caring whether what I did was right or wrong. I no longer knew what right or wrong even meant."

"Right or wrong… Was anyone in Konoha punished for the Uchiha Massacre?" asked Omoi curiously.

"Yes and no. Danzo's in jail, but that's for being AWOL during Pain's invasion. The Elders were punished for the murders of the Uchiha who knew nothing about the clan's coup d'etat, especially the children, but that was it."

"So, no judgment was ever weighed on the Massacre itself, or the coup, or anything that led to it. Whether any of it was right or wrong."

"Well, Naruto said that he wouldn't let something like that happen again."

"And you're satisfied with that?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Well, I realized something. Seeking revenge, lashing out—such things can bring momentary, vindictive pleasure and ease the pain for an instant. But such things don't lighten the burden of grief and sorrow. Such things don't heal the wounds inflicted by loss, longing, and loneliness."

"So then, what does?"

"Bonds with the living. Hope for the future. Faith in humanity. The knowledge that I am not alone and that things do not have to be the way they are. But those were not things that I could find on my own, so a friend found them for me."

"The Rokudaime Hokage?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Wow," said Omoi.

"I know," agreed Sasuke.

Omoi reflected on this. He felt that this conversation had touched upon something important about the world and human nature.

"The Hokage really changed you, didn't he?" said Omoi. "World needs more people like him."

"Hn," chuckled Sasuke. "He's lucky. Things turned out okay, even though he believed in me when he had no reason to…"

"No, he must've had a good reason to believe in you," countered Omoi. "That's why things turned out okay."

Sasuke pondered on that, and a torrent of memories flooded his mind. He wondered how those memories looked through Naruto's eyes, those memories that had sustained Naruto's faith in him. Naruto remembered that they had trained together, fought together, squabbled together, and laughed together. Naruto knew that Sasuke once cared about Team 7. Above all, Naruto never forgot that Sasuke had been willing to risk his life to protect a friend, that Sasuke was capable of overcoming his demons and treasuring his bonds.

"That usuratonkachi…" muttered Sasuke, smiling. _If this is my true self, then he saw it more clearly than I ever did…_

"Your bond must be very special indeed," chuckled Omoi. He could not resist adding, "Very romantic, schoolgirl-chan."

"Oh, shut it," snapped Sasuke.

* * *

One evening, as the girls were hanging out at Ino's house, Sakura suddenly burst into tears and told them that her relationship with Naruto was over. Her friends quickly gathered around and comforted her. Ino and Tenten put their arms around Sakura's shoulders, while Hinata sat by with a box of tissues. However, Sakura would not say a word about how the breakup had happened.

Later that night, Ino invited Sakura to sleep over, but Sakura declined. So, when it was time to call it a night, Hinata offered to walk Sakura home. Presently, the two of them were passing through the park. Suddenly, Sakura stopped by a bench below a streetlamp.

"Hinata-chan, can I talk to you?" asked Sakura.

"Of course," said Hinata, and they sat down on the bench.

"Naruto and I…" began Sakura. She paused, not to cry but to search for words.

Hinata did not know what to expect. She knew that Sakura felt bad about crushing on Sasuke, but Sakura had seemed to feel more sadness than guilt over her breakup with Naruto. Hinata wondered exactly why Naruto and Sakura had broken up.

"Hinata-chan, Naruto broke up with me because…" Sakura took a deep breath. "…because he likes someone else."

That caught Hinata off guard. Naruto had never liked anyone except Sakura…right?

"But he said that this other person wasn't interested in him," Sakura went on. "He had no hope that his feelings would ever be returned."

"But he still broke up with you because of this other girl?" said Hinata, frowning.

"Yeah," said Sakura. "Hopeless or not, his feelings must be very strong."

"Who is this other person?" wondered Hinata.

"No idea," said Sakura. "But Naruto said that it was a close friend whom he sees often."

"Someone we know?" asked Hinata, eyebrows rising.

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Sakura. "Hinata-chan, I want to help Naruto. Maybe he does have a chance with this other person. And if he really doesn't, then we can help him find someone else, someone who's so special that he _can_ overcome his other feelings. I don't want Naruto to give up on ever finding love."

"You're a good friend, Sakura-chan," said Hinata warmly. "But why are you telling me this?"

Sakura's expression saddened a little. "I feel bad asking this of you, Hinata-chan…" _We all know how you feel about Naruto…_ "But I know that you have his best interests at heart. We're gonna have to poke around a little, and I wouldn't trust anyone else," said Sakura.

"I see," said Hinata, smiling. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'm with you on this."

"Great," said Sakura happily. It would be perfect, thought Sakura, if Hinata somehow turned out to be the one whom Naruto liked.

"Where could we start?" asked Hinata.

"Naruto's closest friends are Sasuke-kun and Sai," said Sakura. "Since Sasuke-kun isn't here, we'll have to try Sai. Naruto might have confided in Sai, and Sai might be willing to help us help Naruto."

"I'll try to talk to Sai-kun," said Hinata.

"Yeah, it'll be less awkward if you do it," agreed Sakura. "Good luck, Hinata-chan!"

* * *

A/N: Heeheeheehee… In the next chapter, a certain character who's been gone for a while will finally reappear :).


	15. Suigetsu Returns

A/N: Guess who's back!

* * *

Chapter 14: Suigetsu Returns

* * *

Sasuke was making progress.

He maintained the same courteous and modest attitude that he had in Konoha, and, unsurprisingly, many Kumo villagers reacted positively to it. It went to show that people were the same everywhere, thought Sasuke. Also, Omoi often accompanied him around Kumo, which had the same effect as Naruto's company in Konoha. Among the shinobi, Samui spoke well of Sasuke's abilities and his readiness to be helpful. Karui still mocked him mercilessly for the "schoolgirl in love" thing, and Killer Bee still barely believed that he was the real Uchiha Sasuke.

But there had also been several assassination attempts—poison, traps, etc—though they were far too amateur to pose threats to Sasuke. Yet Sasuke feared the sentiment. Some in Kumo believed that he had not changed deep down. Some believed that he was secretly plotting against Kumo or acting as Konoha's spy, despite the seal on his heart. But the ones whom Sasuke feared most were those who stubbornly believed that Konoha and its allies were out to destroy all who did not join them.

Why did such fears persist? Because if such fears were real, then to dismiss them would be calamitous. But that did not make it a reasonable supposition.

Such were Sasuke's musings as he took a midnight stroll through Kumo, enjoying the calm serenity of the night. It had rained all day, and the ground was covered with puddles. Presently, Sasuke paused before one puddle and, after making sure that nobody was near, spoke to the puddle.

"Suigetsu, what are you doing here?" said Sasuke.

The white-haired boy emerged from the puddle, clothed for once.

"Hey, Sasuke, I could be asking you the same thing," said Suigetsu.

"I'm serving Kumo for a year, as atonement for my crimes," said Sasuke. "As for you, I suppose you got bored of your sword collecting?"

"More or less," admitted Suigetsu. "It does get quite dull, traveling on one's own. I miss you guys' company."

"How sweet," said Sasuke, a little sarcastically. "Well, Jugo and Karin are back in Konoha. As long as you haven't added more crimes to your name, I think Konoha would let you in."

"Nah, I'd rather hang around here," said Suigetsu. "I bet you're up to more than meets the eye."

"Don't sneak around," cautioned Sasuke. "Kumo won't like that."

"Don't worry, I won't get caught," chuckled Suigetsu. He paused for a moment and squinted at Sasuke. Then, he said, "You know, Sasuke, you seem really different."

_If Suigetsu calls me a "schoolgirl in love" too, he's _not_ going to get away with it, _vowed Sasuke.

"I suppose it's because of your friend, the Hokage?" said Suigetsu. "He really changed your worldview. Did he convince you to do this humiliating punishment?"

"I'm doing this for my own sake," replied Sasuke. "I believe in Naruto's goals and in his ability to achieve them. A world of peace and understanding, a world without hatred and suffering, a world without the threat of war, a world where Itachi and I could have lived happily…"

"Sounds pretty utopic to me," said Suigetsu dubiously.

"It does to me too," admitted Sasuke. "But as long as we try, we can make progress. Even if ideals cannot be reached, they keep us moving forward."

"Wow, optimism sounds strange from you," remarked Suigetsu.

"I learned it from a friend," said Sasuke, with a shrug and a smile. "And I'm believing in someone who believed in me."

"That's adorable, how much you mean to each other," snickered Suigetsu.

"Well, Naruto is…an anchor in my life," said Sasuke.

"Are you nice to other people too now?" asked Suigetsu.

"I'm getting better at tolerating most people's company," said Sasuke, feigning defensiveness. "I don't mind most of my old friends in Konoha. Or you guys, actually."

"Aw, how sweet, I feel special," laughed Suigetsu. "But I suppose Hokage-chan's the only person you really care about."

"That's not true," protested Sasuke.

"I mean, you care the most about him," said Suigetsu. "Or, let's put it this way, he's your favorite person to care about."

Well, that was probably true, thought Sasuke. He always felt such a sense of warmth, comfort, and companionship when he was with that dobe…

* * *

One evening, Hinata passed by Sai on her way home from the Academy.

"Excuse me, Sai-kun?" said Hinata.

"Hello, Hinata-san," said Sai. "How are you?"

"Quite well, thank you," replied Hinata. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course," said Sai. "What is it?"

Hinata related Sakura's account of her breakup with Naruto, including Naruto's unrequited love for a mysterious friend.

"Sai-kun, Sakura-chan and I want to help Naruto-kun," said Hinata. "Has Naruto-kun told you anything about this other person whom he likes?"

Sai considered several things.

First, he saw that he had completely misunderstood his conversation with Sakura. Sai had assumed that Sakura knew about Naruto's feelings for Sasuke, but Sakura must have had feelings for Sasuke herself. In reality, no one except Sai even suspected that Naruto was in love with Sasuke.

Second, Naruto had told Sai about his breakup with Sakura, but Naruto had said nothing about liking anyone else. Now, Sai was absolutely certain that Naruto's drunken ramblings had been sincere.

Third, while Naruto's feelings for Sasuke had gone beyond friendship, their friendship was a big part of their relationship. In other words, Naruto's feelings for Sasuke had a very solid foundation. If Naruto clung to his love for Sasuke as he had once clung to their friendship…

Fourth, Sai was terribly confused about everything, and he really wanted someone with whom he could discuss this strange situation. When it came to Naruto's happiness, there were few whom Sai trusted more than Hinata, who not only cared about Naruto but also was the type to keep a secret.

"Hinata-san, I'm going to tell you something, but you must keep this to yourself," said Sai. "Please do not tell Sakura or any of the others."

"A-All right," said Hinata, nervously. She was becoming the keeper of many secrets!

"The person whom Naruto likes," said Sai, "is Sasuke-kun."

Hinata's eyebrows shot into the air.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun," repeated Sai. "Shortly before Sasuke-kun left, Naruto and I went drinking together. Naruto got himself very drunk and babbled very passionately about being in love with Sasuke-kun."

"Wow," said Hinata, shocked. But the more she thought about it, the less shocking it seemed. If Naruto could like boys as well as girls… If Naruto thought of Sasuke as more than a friend… But Sasuke was not… Wait… What kind of girl did Sasuke even like? Hmm… But that did not mean… Or could it…? Well, there was no way to know, at least, not at the moment.

"What are we going to do?" wondered Hinata.

"That's the question," said Sai.

There was a brief pause.

Then, Sai said, "What about you, Hinata-san?"

"What about me?" asked Hinata.

"Hinata-san, you are a very important friend to Naruto," said Sai. "He thinks of you as a little sister."

"Ah," said Hinata. "I know that." Whether Naruto's affections lay with Sakura or Sasuke, they would never lie with her.

"Hinata-san, you are a kind, warm, gentle, determined, courageous, and beautiful woman," said Sai. "There are men out there who appreciate that."

"I know," repeated Hinata. _I could never be to Naruto-kun what Sakura-chan is to him._ _And nobody_ _could ever be to Naruto-kun what Sasuke-kun is to him._ Oddly enough, it was that thought that healed something in Hinata's heart.

"You know, Hinata-san, Kiba-kun…" began Sai.

"I know, Sai-kun," said Hinata again, smiling now. A warm feeling rose in her chest at the thought of her teammate. She knew how much he cared about her. She knew that it could be something more than caring between teammates—both on his side and on hers.

* * *

A/N: And so begins the development of the secondary pairings^^


	16. Digging Deeper

A/N: This will be quite a week…

* * *

Chapter 15: Digging Deeper

* * *

"Dammit! That Uchiha brat is pulling the wool over Kumo's eyes! Tricking everyone into thinking he's reformed and all…"

"Tch, trying to get us to lower our guard while he's spying on Kumo. And once the year is done, Konoha and its allies will attack!"

"I heard that Ame and Iron Country are part of the alliance now. Do they think that Konoha, Suna, and Kiri will divide the spoils with them?"

"Well, we know that they won't. They'll team up to take out us and Iwa, and then they'll turn on each other. The smaller, weaker countries will be the first to fall. Whoever is left standing will be in control of the whole ninja world."

"What matters now is this: What do we do?"

"Genius, you're the one who led the failed attempts on the Mizukage and Hokage."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know about Chojuro and Uchiha being there!?"

"That's enough. We've agreed to speak no more of the attempts on the Kages. Luck was never with us. We must find a different way."

"What if Raikage-sama also falls under Konoha's deception? Kumo would be doomed."

"We have to find some way for people to realize Konoha's true intentions, before it's too late."

"Well, that's simple enough. We'll just give them a glimpse into the future."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll make it look like Uchiha tried to assassinate Raikage-sama. After all, Konoha _is_ working towards the destruction of Kumo."

"Raikage-sama will probably invoke the seal on Uchiha…"

"Exactly. We'll be rid of the spy, and Konoha will be furious. Especially the Hokage, who's always been obsessed with the Uchiha. There'll be a real rift between Konoha and Kumo. Finally, Kumo will awaken to the threat, and we can stand up and fight."

"I don't like this though. We're fighting their deception with a deception of our own?"

"They're not playing fair, so what can we do? We've already been going behind Raikage-sama's back, which I know nobody here likes. But for Kumo's sake, we've got to do what we've got to do."

* * *

The Raikage summoned Sasuke to his office.

"Well, Uchiha, I hear you've been behaving yourself," snapped the Raikage resentfully. "Samui said that you were critical to completing her team's last mission."

"I thank her for the compliment," said Sasuke politely.

"Hmph," said the Raikage. After a pause, he spat out, "I can't believe that fox-brat actually made something useful out of you."

_You're welcome_, thought Sasuke, with a mental smirk.

"Tell me something, you little brat," demanded the Raikage. "What's Konoha up to? Why are they building a vast alliance?"

"Konoha wants greater inter-village cooperation on common threats," said Sasuke, "to prevent something like the rise of Akatsuki from happening again."

"And they really think it'll work?" snorted the Raikage. "What does this alliance even do?"

"Most of what they do is tracking down criminal organizations," said Sasuke. "They also want to learn the lessons of the past. Take Pain, for example. His crimes cannot be defended, but the truth is that he didn't have to become what he did. If we can prevent kids like Nagato from becoming adults like Pain, then we can save a lot of people."

"Prevent kids from becoming like you," said the Raikage.

"That too," said Sasuke softly.

"So, you want to hunt criminals and prevent armed conflicts," said the Raikage. "How do you trust each other?"

"How can we not?" asked Sasuke. "Everyone has a stake in this. Nobody wants another crisis or war. In order to cooperate, we have to trust each other and maintain each other's trust."

The Raikage paused reflectively. Then, he suddenly asked, "Is this for real, or does Konoha just covet power?"

"'Nothing can be done without power, but power is a means to an end,'" quoted Sasuke. "The Rokudaime Hokage said that at his instatement ceremony. 'How much power, what kind, how to get it, when to keep it, when to let it go—the answers depend on what end is sought. Konoha's way is to avoid aggression and hostility. Our power is for peace and protection.'"

"That's true for every village, except when it's not."

"We want 'except when it's not' to happen less."

For a few moments, the Raikage pondered. Then, he spoke, "If you don't do anything stupid for the rest of the year, I want Iron Country's status for Kumo."

"Understood," said Sasuke, smiling. So far so good—except for one thing. Sasuke had not forgotten his third mission from Konoha: to find out what he could about the assassins who had targeted Naruto. It appeared that they had lain low since Sasuke's arrival in Kumo, which only made Sasuke more apprehensive…

* * *

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were hanging out at Sakura's place. While Ino was not looking, Sakura cast a questioning glance at Hinata. Hinata replied with a shake of her head. Even though Hinata now knew Naruto's situation, she had promised Sai that she would keep it a secret.

After a while, Ino noticed Sakura looking bothered.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" asked Ino. "Are you…thinking about Naruto?"

"No, it's nothing," said Sakura quickly.

"Sakura, I don't know what happened, but…" began Ino.

"It was Naruto who dumped me," said Sakura abruptly. "He didn't feel that way about me anymore."

"Oh!" said Ino, surprised. "Is there someone else?"

Sakura simply shrugged, not saying anything more.

"Well, never mind then," said Ino. "Move on, Sakura! They're plenty of great guys in the world!" Ino giggled. "Are we going to compete for Sasuke-kun's heart again?"

Sakura bit her lip. Then, she burst out, "I have a confession. When Sasuke-kun came back, I kind of… I don't think I was completely over him yet… I had some thoughts that, well, I probably shouldn't have had while Naruto and I were still together…"

"What!" cried Ino. "You were crushing on Sasuke-kun back then?"

"You never noticed how I acted around Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura.

"I thought it was just harmless half-flirting," said Ino. "Since, well…"

"Since I wasn't supposed to be single," finished Sakura.

"Yeah…" Ino trailed off.

"It's not that I seriously doubted my feelings for Naruto!" said Sakura quickly. "It's just that…"

"You were distracted by Sasuke-kun. That's understandable," said Ino comfortingly.

It suddenly struck Hinata that Naruto's reasons for liking Sasuke must be better than Sakura's or Ino's.

"Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, why do you like Sasuke-kun anyways?" asked Hinata.

"Hmm?" said Ino, surprised by the question. "Well, besides the fact that he's gorgeous and talented and powerful…"

"I think Sasuke-kun needs someone who likes him for better reasons," said Hinata boldly. She felt as if she were defending Naruto, in a way. "Someone who sees him for who he is. Someone who appreciates the person that he is. Someone who really believes in him and cares about him."

"I do care about Sasuke-kun," objected Sakura. "He's my friend and teammate, after all."

"But that's very different from wanting someone with all your heart," Ino pointed out. She reflected for a moment. "We just have fangirl syndrome, don't we? Just gawking after the hottest, coolest guy in the room…"

"Pretty shallow, huh," said Sakura.

"Indeed," agreed Ino. Then, she cautiously asked, "But, Sakura, this thing with Sasuke _wasn't_ why Naruto broke up with you, was it?"

"No, I don't think so," said Sakura. "He never even mentioned it. No, it was something else…" Sakura trailed off, wondering again who Naruto's secret love might be.

"Naruto-kun… I hope he can find someone whom he loves wholeheartedly and who loves him back," mused Hinata, careful to keep both Sakura's secret from Ino and Sai's secret from Sakura. "Someone who appreciates him truly and completely…" Hinata stopped and frowned. Surely, Sasuke appreciated Naruto truly and completely… If only Sasuke could…

"Yeah, I want Naruto to find someone like that," agreed Sakura. "I hope both Naruto and Sasuke-kun end up with people who really make them happy."

"And what about us?" asked Ino. "What can we hope for?"

"Look at it this way," said Hinata. "How do you judge boys? By looks? By abilities? By personality? By character?"

"Not by character, I'm afraid," admitted Ino, grimacing.

"Well then, try to change that," urged Hinata. "What are the really important things to look for in boys? What makes a solid, lasting relationship?"

"Mutual affection, respect, and trust," said Ino, quoting Tenten.

"Fondness and caring," added Sakura, following suit.

"Exactly," said Hinata. "So, what kind of boy can you form a true, enduring relationship with?"

Ino pondered for a moment. Then, she declared, "You know, I used to have a crush on Sai-kun just because he's hot, but I think I'm starting to like other things about him."

"Such as?" prompted Sakura.

"Well, he turned out to be a really good guy," said Ino. "He's a great friend to Naruto, and you can tell how much he cares about his important people. He's utterly clueless, but he's trying hard to be sociable and make friends, which is absolutely adorable. And he wants to get along with others and develop his people skills, and he's a pretty quick learner."

"Wow, and here I was thinking you never got past his looks!" teased Sakura.

"Yeah, yeah," Ino rolled her eyes. "But, it's just that… Well, it's so different, how I felt about Sasuke-kun and how I feel about Sai-kun…"

"You're starting to judge boys by more than their superficial characteristics," said Hinata. "Keep it up! Don't get caught up chasing the 'biggest catch in the pond.' Go after the one who's best for you. Ino-chan, you really are capable of digging deeper. Let's see more of this side of you!"

"You will!" vowed Ino. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

"No problem," said Hinata. She then turned to Sakura. "What about you, Sakura-chan? What are the qualities that you look for?"

"Determination. Dedication. Genuine affection. A kind, brave, strong, and noble heart," said Sakura, thinking of what she had liked about Naruto. "And devotion. Complete devotion to me, of course."

"Lee," said Ino immediately.

"I know," said Sakura, smiling. "I already respect and admire him. But I was always too busy crushing on Sasuke-kun…"

"Now, you're trying to get over fan girl mode," said Ino.

"…and then, I was with Naruto…" Sakura went on.

"Unfortunately, he no longer feels that way," said Ino.

_Not exactly devoted to me, huh? _thought Sakura. Aloud, Sakura mused, "I wonder what Lee sees in me anyways?"

"Like all your teammates, you have a true heart, Sakura-chan," said Hinata, smiling. "Will you give Lee-kun a chance?"

"Mm-hmm!" said Sakura, beaming. "I have a new attitude, and I'm ready for a new start!"

And that was how Sakura and Ino found their new man targets.

* * *

A/N: ^^

Edit: I make little edits here and there all the time, so if you're re-reading this and a few things look different (this chapter has quite a few edits), that's why^^


	17. Turning Point

Plot note: The scenes can jump forward weeks or months in time when they jump between Kumo and Konoha.

* * *

Chapter 16: Turning Point

* * *

"Oh great, what plot have the guys from Kumo cooked up this time?"

"They want to make it look like the Uchiha tried to kill the Raikage, so the Raikage will kill Uchiha, and Konoha will go mad."

"I'm sick of their harebrained plans! They came up with the plans for assassinating the Kages, and look how those went?? And we got lured out by Suna, and one of _our_ guys got captured!"

"Look, let's focus on the problem. The Raikage's starting to change his mind. If he gets onboard with Konoha and them, then Iwa will be alone against them all. We'll be the first ones they take down before they fall into fighting amongst themselves."

"We can't let that happen. We can't botch our next move. If the Raikage sees through this, our group will be done for. I'm not sure if Tsuchikage-sama actually knows about us, but I _am_ sure the Raikage doesn't know, and he'll be pissed if he finds out. If we get caught, there'll be no more active resistance to the alliance. Plenty of people complain about it, but we're the only ones taking a stand."

"Hey, listen up. One of the Kumo guys made a proposition."

"Yeah?"

"He's one of the Raikage's top Black Ops commanders. He says the Raikage's really falling for Uchiha's tricks, especially since Uchiha's got Killer Bee's students pretty well fooled. The Raikage may actually suspect foul play if it looks like Uchiha tried to kill him."

"…That's not good. Is he saying that the Raikage is a lost cause?"

"Perhaps."

"So…what's he proposing?"

"Before the other Kumo guys make any stupid moves, we need to actually finish off the Raikage. With this guy's help, we can do it."

"Heh heh. How ambitious. I suppose he wants to become the next Raikage?"

"Yes. And he will remember this debt to Iwa—and to us."

"Hey, I think we're going too fast! The Raikage isn't on Konoha's side yet. And what about the other Kumo guys in our group? They're all still loyal to the Raikage!"

"Shut it, you coward. When the Raikage is on Konoha's side, it'll be too late. If we can get our guy in the Raikage's seat, he can just send the other Kumo guys to jail. As for you, you spineless little rat, listen up. These are dangerous times for Iwa. If you're with us, then you stay with us."

* * *

It was late evening. Sasuke was on a high ledge outside of Kumo, watching the sunset. Presently, Suigetsu appeared beside him.

"Hello again, Sasuke," said Suigetsu.

"Staying out of trouble?" asked Sasuke.

"Of course, of course," replied Suigetsu, sitting down too. "Say, Sasuke, I have a question for you."

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever met any girls you like?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. What a strange question.

"I haven't met many _people_ I like," said Sasuke.

"I mean, have you met any _girls_ you _like_ like?" clarified Suigetsu.

"If I haven't met many _people_ I like, then I probably haven't met many _girls_ I _like_ like, right?" said Sasuke, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I get it," said Suigetsu. "You don't like any girls. A lot of girls like you, though."

Sasuke made a face.

"I see," said Suigetsu sympathetically. "Most of them are just fan girls, aren't they?"

"All of them," corrected Sasuke, "from acquaintances to random passersby."

"What kind of girl would you go for?" asked Suigetsu curiously.

Sasuke shrugged. He had never thought much or cared much about such things. Family had always been the focus of his life—from pursuing his brother's example and his father's approval, to drowning in crippling grief and lust for vengeance, to wanting to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

"Ah, I see," chuckled Suigetsu. "Always focused on bigger things, huh, Sasuke? Always too busy chasing whatever goal in life you were obsessed with. Now, it's helping Hokage-chan save the world."

"I'd rather do that than think about girls," said Sasuke.

"You're asexual," declared Suigetsu. "You're immune to lovey-dovey stuff. You should put a warning on yourself: 'Don't be fooled by my good looks. I'm not interested in romance, and I don't give a crap about you. Go squeal at someone else.'"

"I think that would just draw more attention," chuckled Sasuke.

"Say, do you even know which way you swing?" remarked Suigetsu.

"I thought we established that I was asexual," said Sasuke, rolling his eyes again.

"Haven't you ever had crushes before?" asked Suigetsu. "Or, you know, dirty fantasies?"

Sasuke scowled. "You're confusing me with Naruto or Kakashi."

"Wow, you really don't have a sexual cell in your brain," said Suigetsu. "Well, what kind of girl do you think is hot?"

"I told you, I don't think about such things," said Sasuke. "And I've never come across a girl who struck me as attractive."

"Whoa, man, harsh," said Suigetsu. "What about guys?"

Sasuke sighed in frustration. "Can this conversation end?" demanded Sasuke.

"Okay, forget the crushes and dirty fantasies," said Suigetsu. "Is there anyone whom you would do anything to protect? Anyone whose happiness means everything to you?"

"Yeah, but—" Sasuke stopped, frowning.

"But what? Is there someone?" asked Suigetsu eagerly. "Is this someone you would devote yourself to? Someone whom, you know, you always want to be at their side?"

Sasuke's frown deepened—but he would never admit that it was a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed, tan-skinned ninja on his mind. In fact, now that Sasuke thought about it… There was no sight that brightened his day the way Naruto's grin did, no sound that lifted his heart the way Naruto's laugh did, no feeling that warmed his soul the way Naruto's company did…

_Wait…where are all these thoughts coming from???_ thought Sasuke, with dawning horror. _Don't tell me…_this_ is _love_!!??_

* * *

It was Friday night, and more people were there for the weekly dinner gathering than usual. In fact, everyone was there except for Sasuke—who had been gone for months—and Naruto—who was now working late on a regular basis. Because there were so many people, they all decided to go to the bar that night. Then, while a slow dance was playing, things got fun.

"C'mon, Neji, let's dance!" said Tenten, abruptly pulling Neji out of his seat.

"Ack, take it easy!" cried Neji, as Tenten dragged him onto the dance floor, placed his arms around her waist, and threw her own arms around his neck.

Temari raised an eyebrow and looked at Shikamaru.

"How troublesome," muttered Shikamaru. He got up and held out his hand to Temari. "Wanna dance?"

"Of course," said Temari, promptly taking his hand and rising from her seat. Shikamaru and Temari went to the dance floor, pulled each other close, and began swaying to the music.

"Aww, aren't they adorable?" said Ino, gazing admiringly at the two couples.

"Oh, yes," agreed Sakura.

"Sakura-san, will you dance with me?" asked Lee, as he had so many times.

"I'd love to," said Sakura cheerily.

"Ah, rejected again!" cried Lee, as he had so many times. "I will run a thousand laps around Konoha, and perhaps one day I will be worthy of—" Lee suddenly realized something. "—wait, what?"

"I'd love to dance with you," repeated Sakura, smiling broadly.

Lee stared. "C-Could it be… Sakura-san… You said 'yes'?"

"Yes!" laughed Sakura, delighted by Lee's reaction. She sprang up, seized Lee's hand, and led him to the dance floor. They began slow dancing together, Sakura still beaming and Lee still shocked.

"Wow," said Kiba, staring at Lee and Sakura. "Lucky guy."

"I'm so happy for Lee-kun," agreed Hinata. "Sakura-chan finally noticed him."

"Yeah…" Kiba sighed. "It's nice when the girl you like notices you…"

"Kiba-kun, will you dance with me?" asked Hinata suddenly, her voice shy and sweet.

"What!?" Kiba could hardly believe his ears.

"…You don't want to?" asked Hinata nervously.

"No, of course I want to!" said Kiba quickly. "C'mon, let's do it!" Kiba got up, took Hinata's hand, and led her off to the dance floor.

"Wow, it's a great day for Bowl-Cut and Dog-boy," remarked Sai. "They're finally getting some attention from Pink and Boobs."

"Don't you think they make cute couples?" cooed Ino.

"They do look very happy," remarked Sai, carefully sidestepping the word "cute."

"Let's go dance too, Sai-kun!" suggested Ino.

"Uh, well, I don't know much about dancing…" said Sai self-consciously.

"I can teach you," offered Ino. "Let's just go and have some fun!"

"Um, okay," said Sai. Ino grabbed his hand, and they joined the other couples on the dance floor.

Choji and Shino watched in awe. Then, they both raised their mugs.

"A toast…"

"…to Lee and Sakura…"

"…to Kiba and Hinata…"

"…and to Sai and Ino."

Choji and Shino drank to that.

* * *

Halfway through the evening, they all decided to storm Hokage Tower and get Naruto to join them. The noisy group made their way to Naruto's office, chattering, laughing, giggling, and wobbling tipsily. However, as soon as Sai, who led the way, opened the door to Naruto's office, they all saw that something was very, very wrong.

Kakashi stood beside Naruto's desk, still as a statue. Naruto was holding a piece of paper, staring at the words. His mouth was open in shock, his face was deathly white, his eyes were wide with terror, and he looked as though he could barely breathe.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" cried Sai. Everyone had instantly gone silent and completely sober.

Without looking up, Naruto snapped, "Out."

"Naruto—" began Kakashi.

"I SAID EVERYONE OUT!" shouted Naruto.

Everyone immediately obeyed.

Naruto, now alone in his office, read over the report again.

"No… No… No, no, no, no, no…" was all that Naruto could say.


	18. The Messages

Chapter 17: The Messages

* * *

Naruto could hardly make sense of the report in his hand.

_CLASSIFIED_

_Confirmed: Attempted assassinations of Hokage and Mizukage were perpetrated by Kumo and Iwa shinobi acting without official orders.__ Group includes a Kumo Black Ops commander._

_Confirmed: Identified Kumo Black Op, aided by Iwa shinobi in the group, attempted to assassinate the Raikage. Attempt failed._

_Confirmed: Uchiha Sasuke is in critical condition. Twenty-five percent chance of surviving the next seventy-two hours._

_Confirmed: Kumo shinobi in the group have turned themselves in and have identified other members._

_Unconfirmed: Tsuchikage has been informed and…_

But Naruto could not read any further. He could barely hold back a furious urge to scream, cry, and obliterate every inanimate object in sight.

* * *

Later that night, Sai was sitting atop Hokage Mountain, watching the stars twinkle.

_I hope Naruto will tell us what's going on,_ thought Sai. Kakashi had refused to say anything, and Naruto was still locked in his office.

"Hey," said a sudden voice behind him.

Sai turned. There stood the white-haired boy from Sasuke's team who had left after Sasuke's return to Konoha. The white-haired boy was panting from exhaustion and looked rather haggard and strained. He was clutching a folded piece of paper in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Sai.

"You," Suigetsu gasped out, struggling to speak. "You were with Hokage-chan when he came after Sasuke. You must be one of Hokage-chan's closest pals, right?"

"Naruto and I are good friends, yes," said Sai, brow furrowing. "What is your business here?"

"I have a letter from Sasuke to Naruto," said Suigetsu. "Sasuke dictated it to me, but he told me to…" Suigetsu hesitated.

"What happened?" demanded Sai, thinking that this must have something to do with whatever was distressing Naruto.

"I think this should be read by a friend of Hokage-chan," said Suigetsu.

Sai frowned. "All right, I promise not to tell Naruto anything about this," said Sai.

Suigetsu nodded and handed Sai the letter.

Sai read it.

_Dobe,_

_I'm writing this to get it out, in case it's my last chance. But don't worry, this is one of those things that are meant to be written but not read. If you do read this, it means that Suigetsu didn't destroy it like I told him to. In which case, my ghost will haunt him forever (but don't worry, I'm not dead yet)._

_You'll get an official report about what happened, so if I die, you'll know that it wasn't because I did anything stupid. The group that went after you and the Mizukage—they're elite ninja, powerful and resourceful, but they're not very well-organized. They're also blinded by paranoia. They think Konoha and its allies will attack Kumo and Iwa, as if you all could agree on starting a war, and I'm stealing Kumo's secrets, as if I didn't have a seal on my heart. No surprise, they also mistrust each other. _

_The Iwa faction and Kumo faction had a split. The Iwa faction and an overambitious Kumo Black Op tried to kill the Raikage, who was starting to change his mind about us. There was an anonymous warning earlier (turns out, an Iwa-nin tried to defect), but nobody took it seriously. Luckily, I suspected that this group might be involved, and when they did attack, I was able to be there and help the Raikage defeat them. The rest of the Kumo faction is still loyal to the Raikage and didn't know about any of this. They turned themselves in when they found out._

_If I do die, I will be eternally pissed about dying on this goddamn foggy mountain. I'd also rather die with you by my deathbed, but oh well. We ninja don't choose our own deaths, do we? I'd rather die for you, too, but I figure that dying for your cause—my cause too, now—is good enough. It'd really suck if the Raikage was assassinated because he was starting to trust what you're doing, huh?_

_Anyways, if I do die, don't get too sad. You still have Sakura and all of them. You still have Sai. He's always there for you when I'm not, isn't he? So you'll be fine._

_One more thing, dobe…_

_I think I love you._

_No one else could have brought me back. No one else could have done what you have done for me. For no one else could I have changed as I have. In no one else could I believe as I believe in you._

_You're also quite cute when you're not being stupid. So do try to be stupid less, no? (You're even cuter when you're knocked out, but don't get knocked out too much.)_

_If I don't see you again, have a good life. From the bottom of my cold, bastardly heart, I truly wish you the best._

_Teme_

That was the whole of the letter.

Sai could hardly believe it. Sasuke had actually developed feelings for Naruto…but Sasuke was close to death.

"So, you're Sai, Hokage-chan's best buddy?" muttered Suigetsu, mostly to himself. "Sasuke seemed kinda pissed about you…"

"Of course, I'm Naruto's best friend now," muttered Sai, also mostly to himself. _Sasuke is something else to Naruto, something else entirely… And to Sasuke, Naruto is… Why didn't I ever suspect…_

"Let's go," said Sai suddenly, tucking the letter into his pocket.

"Go where?" asked Suigetsu.

"To see the Hokage, of course," said Sai.

Naruto and Sasuke were so close to a happy ending—and Sai was determined to see that it happened.

* * *

Naruto was reading another note—an emergency message from the Raikage. In blunt words, the Raikage wrote that a group of Kumo and Iwa traitors had tried to assassinate him. He was furious that some of his own ninja had gone behind his back. He was especially furious that a trusted Black Op had taken the opportunity to try to overthrow him. He also requested the presence of Konoha's best medic to help save Sasuke, who had fought to protect him.

It took every ounce of Naruto's willpower to keep calm.

_Why, Sasuke, why?_ thought Naruto. _Did the Raikage order you to protect him, and you had to obey because of the seal? Or did you choose to do this yourself, as penance for your crimes?_

Presently, the door of Naruto's office opened.

"There you are, Sakura-chan, I—" Naruto stopped when he looked up. It was not Sakura, for whom he had sent a summons. Instead, it was Sai and the white-haired guy from Sasuke's team.

"Sai, who is this?" asked Naruto.

"I'm Suigetsu, Sasuke's teammate," said Suigetsu. "I bumped into him in Kumo. I came to tell you guys what happened to him, but it seems like you already know." Suigetsu caught Sai's eye, reminding Sai not to mention Sasuke's letter.

"Yeah, we know about it," said Naruto. "I'm going to ask Sakura-chan to send a medic to Kumo."

Presently, Sakura came into Naruto's office. "Naruto, what's going—?" Sakura stopped when she saw Sai and Suigetsu.

"Sakura-chan, Sasuke's been in Kumo," said Naruto, in a forced businesslike tone. "The assassins that came after me just tried to kill the Raikage. Sasuke helped stop them, but he might be fatally injured."

Sakura swayed on her feet.

"Sakura-chan, I need a medic to send to Kumo immediately," said Naruto.

"I'm going myself," said Sakura immediately.

Naruto frowned.

"I agree," Sai spoke up.

"It's a risk to send out our best medic…" said Naruto, deliberating mistrusting his own heart, which screamed at him to send the very best.

"When Sasuke-kun's loyalty is with us, his powers are very valuable to Konoha," said Sai. "Besides, we don't want something like Sasuke's death to cast a shadow over a potential Konoha-Kumo friendship…" Sai stopped. Both Naruto and Sakura had gone still at the words "Sasuke's death."

"C'mon, let's go," said Sai quickly. "I'll be one of Sakura's escorts."

"Sakura's our best," said Naruto. "At least two other ANBU…"

"How about those two who joined last month?" suggested Sai.

Naruto nodded his assent.

* * *

After Sakura, Sai, Shino, and Neji had set out for Kumo, Suigetsu was left to his own devices. He knew that they did not trust him enough to send him to Kumo with the others. But apparently, nobody cared if he wandered around Konoha in the middle of the night.

As luck would have it, he came upon Karin, who was returning from a long mission.

"Hey, is that Karin?" Suigetsu called out.

Karin squinted in the darkness. "Suigetsu??" she demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"Got bored," said Suigetsu, deciding not to tell Karin about Sasuke. "How are you doing, running errands for Konoha?"

"Hmph!" sniffed Karin. "Running errands? I'm being trusted with high-level solo missions now!"

"That's wonderful," drawled Suigetsu sarcastically. "How do you do it, kissing Konoha's ass with a straight face? Is it really all for Sasuke?"

"W-What makes you think I'd do anything special for Sasuke!" cried Karin, defensive again. "Besides…" _Besides, Konoha's actually treating me quite well. Even the twits here are amusing…_

"Besides, people are being nice to you?" prompted Suigetsu.

"Yes, well, they're not as bad as I thought," conceded Karin. She and the "Konoha twits" were already learning to exchange insults and zingers without lasting damage. It was quite a feat.

"Hmm," said Suigetsu. After a moment's pause, Suigetsu changed the topic. "So, Karin…"

"What?" said Karin snappily.

"How serious are you about Sasuke?" asked Suigetsu.

"W-What do you mean? I'm not serious about him…" babbled Karin.

"Okay, okay, but if you _were_ serious about a guy like him, how serious would you be?" said Suigetsu.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," said Karin stubbornly.

"Look, guys like him aren't interested in girls," said Suigetsu. He suddenly realized that there were two meanings there. "I mean, guys like Sasuke get too obsessed with whatever they're after, whether it's destroying the world or saving it. He doesn't have a romantic cell in his brain."

Karin raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?" she demanded.

"I mean, you can gawk at him and flirt with him as much as you like, but he's probably not going to gawk or flirt back," said Suigetsu. "Even if he does notice someone eventually, well… I mean, if he hasn't noticed you by now, he's probably never gonna."

"Are you telling me to give up on him?" said Karin, not even realizing what she was confessing.

"I'm just…giving you some friendly advice."

"…Why?"

"Well, I'm used to you being snappy, yelling, and ill-tempered. If you ever got sad, weepy, and dejected, well, I can't even imagine you that way. It'd be very strange, you know? Maybe too bizarre for my poor little brain to handle."

"Oh… Well…then…" _Does this mean…Suigetsu cares…?_ "I-I'm not that crazy about Sasuke."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yeah. I still care about him. As a friend. I mean, a teammate."

Suigetsu chuckled. "He has you to thank, too. When he saved you from the Eight-Tails, he gave it a chance to escape the Amaterasu. Otherwise, he'd be in a lot more trouble than…" Suigetsu stopped. He realized that he had said too much.

"What? What trouble is Sasuke in?" Karin suddenly realized something. "Is this why he's been gone for months? Is he in Kumo?"

"Uh…" Suigetsu tried to think of a plausible lie.

Karin grabbed Suigetsu's shoulders and shook him. "Tell me what happened!" she demanded.

_Well, if anything permanent happens to Sasuke, the later she finds out, the angrier she'll be,_ thought Suigetsu. Reluctantly, he told her the gist of what had happened to Sasuke.

"Then…he's…dying?" cried Karin.

"No, he'll be fine!" said Suigetsu quickly. "Konoha sent that pink-haired girl. She's a really good medic, so Sasuke'll make it."

Karin looked lost for a moment as she tried to absorb the shock. Then, she leaned against Suigetsu and started sobbing.

"Oh dear," muttered Suigetsu, awkwardly patting her shoulder. Karin sobbing was every bit as strange as he had expected. But at that moment, Suigetsu and Karin were sharing one thought.

_Sasuke had better make it back alive…_

* * *

A/N: Next update will be short. But it will be to the point.


	19. Coming Home Again

Chapter 18: Coming Home Again

* * *

One week passed.

Then another.

Three weeks later, Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo were waiting by Konoha's gate when five Konoha ninja returned. Shino and Neji, having completed their mission, went off to inform their friends about certain interesting goings-on. The other six made their way to the Hokage's office.

* * *

Naruto looked up when his office door opened. His heart nearly burst from joy and relief when he saw who stepped inside: Sakura, Sai, Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, and a surprisingly lightly bandaged Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" cried Naruto, springing up from his chair.

Sasuke smiled wordlessly and held out an envelope to Naruto. Naruto, still in a daze of surprise, took it. It was another official message from the Raikage. Naruto broke the seal on the envelope, took out the letter, and read it. The Raikage thanked the Hokage and Sakura, declared that he considered Sasuke's debt to be fully repaid, and asked to be an observer in the alliance. Amusingly, the Raikage added that he had seen in Sasuke both the effectiveness and contagiousness of Naruto's "considerable brainwashing powers."

Naruto looked up from the letter, confused. Why did Sasuke think that this was more important than his own being alive?

"It looks like the Raikage's onboard," said Sasuke, still smiling. Even if not every Kumo shinobi was fully convinced, even if they still had plenty of work ahead with convincing the Tsuchikage, it was a step forward. "Happy, dobe?"

"Heh heh," Naruto finally managed to smile. "Of course, I'm happy."

Naruto went around his desk and pulled Sasuke into a long, tight hug. After a moment's surprise, Sasuke gently hugged him back.

Suigetsu bit his lip, thinking about what had been in Sasuke's letter. _What would Hokage-chan think if he knew how Sasuke felt…?_ Suigetsu cast a sidelong glance at Sai—and saw an absolutely diabolical smile on Sai's face.

Suddenly, Suigetsu understood. _Ah, I see. Hokage-chan also has a special secret…_ An equally diabolical smile spread across Suigetsu's own face.

Sakura and Karin were too busy being happy to notice, but Jugo glanced briefly at Suigetsu—and saw Suigetsu's and Sai's very, very, _very_ frightening expressions.

_How ominous,_ thought Jugo.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun dun… XDDD


	20. A Pair of Revelations

A/N: Now, the chapter we've been waiting for!

* * *

Chapter 19: A Pair of Revelations

* * *

Sasuke's return was an occasion that called for a celebration—a group outing to the bar, of course.

On their way there, Kiba and Shino overheard a very strange conversation between Sai and Suigetsu.

"So, did Hokage-chan and his girlfriend recently break up?" asked Suigetsu. "I heard Sasuke asking Hokage-chan why his girlfriend was with another guy."

"Yes, Naruto and Sakura recently broke up, and Sakura's with Lee now," said Sai. "And Naruto has another love, apparently."

"Ooh, who's Hokage-chan's secret sweetie?" asked Suigetsu curiously.

"That's the biggest mystery in Konoha, at the moment," said Sai slyly.

"Heh heh," chuckled Suigetsu. "I know another biggest mystery in town."

"Oh?" It was Sai's turn to be curious. "What is it?"

"Sasuke's got a secret love, too," revealed Suigetsu.

"What!?" demanded Sai. "Who managed to get that frigid bastard's attention?"

"Who knows," shrugged Suigetsu, smirking.

Sai and Suigetsu said no more.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a look. Naruto and Sasuke both had secret loves? Now, this was a mystery worth investigating.

* * *

"Did they hear us?"

"Yep, and they sure seem curious."

"Well then, I guess we just sit back now…"

"…and watch them do the work."

* * *

"What!? Naruto has a secret crush? Are you kidding?"

"I wonder who it is."

"Well, that's what we're gonna try to find out."

"And who on earth melted Sasuke's frozen heart?"

"Now, _that's_ a mystery."

"Okay, so here's the plan. We split into two groups, and we get those two drunk."

"Great idea! I mean, they'll never reveal anything sober."

"Right, so let's split up like this. Choji, Lee, and I, we'll do Naruto. Shino, Shikamaru, and Neji, you guys do Sasuke."

"Sounds good, Kiba."

"Now, full speed ahead to booze-land!"

* * *

Jugo chuckled. Now, he knew what was going on. Before the night was over, Konoha might get a pair of truly unexpected revelations.

* * *

Sai, Suigetsu, and Jugo were chuckling at the sight before them. The girls were just confused.

"Um, why are the guys getting Naruto and Sasuke drunk?" asked Tenten.

"Who knows?" said Ino. "But those two don't seem to mind. Look at the alcohol they're taking in!"

"I don't think they can handle that much," remarked Sakura. "I hope they don't start puking."

"Indeed, that would be a most nauseating sight," agreed Hinata.

"I'm never going to figure out Konoha men…" muttered Karin.

"Oh, don't worry," chuckled Suigetsu, patting Karin's arm. "Just watch the fun."

"D-Don't touch me!" snapped Karin, turning red.

Suigetsu just chuckled again, knowing what the blush and feigned harshness meant.

"Flirt later, you two," admonished Sai. "We don't want to miss this."

And just what was going on that they did not want to miss?

Naruto and Sasuke were sitting next to each other, but each was being distracted by a steady stream of alcohol offerings. Kiba, Lee, and Choji were plying Naruto with drinks. Shino, Neji, and Shikamaru were doing the same with Sasuke.

"I can't believe how well things turned out in Kumo," said Naruto, cheeks already red with tipsiness.

"Yes, let's have a toast!" said Choji immediately, shoving a drink into Naruto's hand. "To Kumo and Konoha's friendship!"

Naruto downed the drink. Then, he went on, "Oh, by the way, Kiba, I heard about you and Hinata. I didn't see it coming, but I think it's wonderful!"

"Why, thank you!" said Kiba, refilling Naruto's cup. "Do drink to us!"

"To Kiba and Hinata!" said Naruto, downing the drink. "And, oh yeah, congrats to you too, Bushy-Brow! Sakura-chan deserves a constant and loyal guy like you."

"Thank you so much for your kind words, Naruto-kun!" said Lee, filling Naruto's cup yet again. "I'd be delighted if you drank to us as well, Hokage-sama!"

"How'd I go from 'Naruto-kun' to 'Hokage-sama' in two sentences?" chuckled Naruto. "To Bushy-Brow and Sakura-chan!" he declared, downing the drink. He was more than buzzed now.

"So, Naruto-kun, is there a special girl in your life?" asked Lee.

"No," said Naruto shortly.

Kiba frowned suspiciously. "Are you sure you don't have a certain special someone?" persisted Kiba. "You know, a 'certain' 'special' 'someone'?"

"Oh, well, yeah, I guess I do," said Naruto, not very enlightening.

"What's this person like?" asked Choji coaxingly.

"Geez, you guys are like Sai!" whined Naruto, his drunken brain recalling a previous drunken conversation. "All these questions about who I like…"

Kiba, Lee, and Choji glanced suspiciously at Sai, who was sporting a bland and innocent smile. Did Sai already know…? The three boys became even more curious.

"C'mon, Naruto!" urged Kiba. "Tell us who it is!"

"No!" said Naruto stubbornly. "It's not someone who'll ever like me back that way."

"You don't know that, Naruto-kun," said Lee. "Tell us, and we'll help you win your beloved's heart!"

"But…" began Naruto.

"Naruto, I thought nothing was hopeless with you?" said Choji.

"You don't get it!" cried Naruto. "How… How can I tell…"

Meanwhile…

"That usuratonkachi had better not let his alliance do anything stupid," said Sasuke, his voice a little wobbly. "After all my effort in getting the Raikage to trust them…"

"Don't worry, Naruto takes his duties very seriously," said Shikamaru, not even bothering to find an excuse to hand Sasuke another drink. "Scratch that, I wouldn't put it past him to interrupt a meeting with a Sexy Jutsu prank…"

"Heh heh, perverted jutsu," giggled Sasuke, downing the drink.

"Did you just say 'perverted jutsu' and giggle?" demanded Neji, refilling Sasuke's cup.

"So what?" snapped Sasuke crankily, downing the drink again.

"Oh, nothing, it was just unexpected," said Shino, re-refilling Sasuke's cup.

Sasuke scowled, but he downed the drink. Then, out of the blue, he demanded, "What's the key to happiness in love?"

"Daily usage of flowery, strange-smelling shampoo and conditioner, according to Tenten," offered Neji.

"Getting off my lazy ass instead of waiting forever to make something of myself, according to Temari," added Shikamaru.

"Sounds like Temari is more demanding than Tenten," said Shino. Then, he quickly corrected himself, "No, I should say that Shikamaru leaves more to be demanded than Neji does."

"Shut up," muttered Shikamaru, as Neji smirked.

Sasuke giggled again.

"What is with you and your giggles today?" demanded Shino.

"Love sounds fun," remarked Sasuke, now completely drunk.

Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji could hardly believe their ears. Did Sasuke really just say that?

"Very fun indeed," Sasuke giggled again. "I have someone whom I love too."

"Who is it?" asked Shino immediately.

"Wouldn't you like to know," snapped Sasuke peevishly.

"Actually, we would," said Neji, half-hoping that it might really be that simple.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you," declared Sasuke infuriatingly.

"You sure you're not dying to tell us?" said Shikamaru, in a sarcastic drawl.

"Of course not," said Sasuke, scowling again. "Why would I want to tell anyone when…when…" Suddenly, Sasuke sniffed. "…when I'm not supposed to like that person in that way?"

Shikamaru, Neji, and Shino exchanged curious glances.

"What do you mean, Sasuke?" asked Shino.

"I… I mean…" stammered Sasuke, almost too inebriated to speak, "how can I tell…"

At that moment, Naruto and Sasuke, who were sitting next to each other but engaged in separate conversations, burst out at the same time.

"How can I tell that teme that I love him!?"

"How can I tell that dobe that I love him!?"

Time seemed to stop.

Naruto and Sasuke snapped around to gape at each other. Kiba, Choji, Lee, Shino, Shikamaru, and Neji were simply astounded. Sai and Suigetsu grinned triumphantly, while Jugo chuckled at his own prediction coming true.

But as Naruto and Sasuke each stared into the other's shocked face, it was the girls who absorbed the lightning-like realization—and knew instinctively what to do next.

Simultaneously, Sakura and Ino reached over and gave Naruto and Sasuke, respectively, a good push.

Both boys pitched forward—and their lips landed on each other's.

Hinata made the finishing move by giving Naruto's back a very hard shove.

Naruto pitched forward completely, crashing into Sasuke and sending both of them tumbling to the ground—where Naruto landed smack-dab on top of Sasuke. Better yet, as Sasuke tried to catch Naruto, his arms ended up wrapped around the other boy. And as Naruto tried to break his fall, his hands ended up planted on either side of Sasuke's head. Best of all, their lips were miraculously still glued to each other's.

The girls instantly fainted from massive nosebleeds.

The other boys could only stare in dumb shock.

Suddenly, Suigetsu sprang to his feet, banged his mug on the table, and made a declaration for the whole bar to hear—a declaration that all Konoha would know by the next morning.

"YO, EVERYBODY!! YOUR HOKAGE AND THE UCHIHA ARE IN _WUV_!!!"

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Then, everybody in the bar keeled over.

"Brilliant," said Sai approvingly.

* * *

A/N: !!!!!!!!!!!


	21. Konohamaru's New Jutsu

A/N: Well, this is it!

* * *

Chapter 20: Konohamaru's New Jutsu

* * *

"So, what do you think of my proposition?"

"It's disgusting! I would never take part in such a thing!"

"Oh, come on! It'll be your clones, not you, and they'll be transformed, so they won't even look like you!"

"God forbid that anything resembling me be seen doing what you're suggesting!"

"I just said that's not gonna happen! Now c'mon, it'll be fun! And I really need four!"

"I don't think manipulating a clone into the positions you're suggesting would be fun."

"One question."

"Yes…?"

"Don't you want to see their reactions?"

"Mm…"

"Uh…"

"Well…"

"Heh heh, that's what I thought."

And so Choji, Shino, and Jugo sold their souls to the devil named Konohamaru.

* * *

Shikamaru and Temari, Neji and Tenten, Kiba and Hinata, Lee and Sakura, Sai and Ino, Suigetsu and Karin, and Naruto and Sasuke were out on a massive group date.

Unfortunately, the girls were neglecting their boyfriends in favor of drooling at Naruto and Sasuke—who were not even doing anything except casual bickering.

It made one wonder what was going on in the girls' minds.

Suddenly, Konohamaru and three clones—actually, they were clones of Konohamaru, Choji, Shino, and Jugo, all transformed into Konohamaru—appeared in front of the young couples.

"Oh, it's your turn, isn't it, Konohamaru?" said Naruto, referring to their ongoing perverts' competition. "Well then, let's see it!"

"Heh heh," chuckled Konohamaru's clone evilly. "Now, I know the ultimate perverted jutsu to use against you, Naruto-nii-chan!"

A puff of smoke engulfed the clones as they transformed. When the smoke cleared, there were two naked clones each of Naruto and Sasuke, busily doing………WHOA!!!!

"HOLY RAMEN!!!" cheered Naruto. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and shook him, yelling, "We have to do that, teme!"

"With only four?" smirked Sasuke. "Dobe, I think we can do better than that."

Meanwhile, the girls' nosebleeds flooded the surrounding area.

The other boys were grossed out but too fascinated to look away.

"Ah, my eyes!" cried Neji.

"Wow," said Kiba, "I didn't know you could do that…"

"Are you looking in that much detail?" demanded Neji.

"Hey, don't project your perversion on me!" snapped Kiba.

"Seriously, what's going on with that one clone?" said Shikamaru. "That's _not_ anatomically possible."

"How do you know??" demanded Lee. "Have you tried it??"

"Of course not!" snapped Shikamaru.

"Then, you don't know that it's not possible," insisted Lee stubbornly.

"We'll know soon enough," Sai pointed out. "After all, Fox-boy and Sex-god said they'd try it."

"That sounded so wrong," said Suigetsu. "And I don't think we want to hear them _report_ about it."

"Report about it? Dream on," cut in Sasuke.

"Yeah, we don't wanna make you virgins jealous!" teased Naruto.

The girls' eyes began glazing over.

Presently, Kakashi and Yamato came sauntering by when they saw the young people.

"Yo, this looks like a merry band of youngsters!" said Kakashi. "How're you all—OH MY DEAR FUCKING GOD OF ICHA ICHA!!!" He had spotted the naked clones, which were still enthusiastically going about their…interactions.

"Uh, Kakashi-sensei, that's not actually us," the real Naruto spoke up.

Kakashi looked around at the real Naruto and Sasuke. Then, he looked at the other couples. Then, he counted the number of males and females. Then, he glanced between the naked clones and his two male students. Then, he realized that the rumors were true. Then, he passed out.

The young ninja burst out laughing.

"Ah, you kids," said Yamato, chuckling indulgently. "To be young and in love! Well, it's good to see that you're all doing well. I'm sure Kakashi-senpai will feel the same once he, uh, gets over the shock."

"Indeed, this looks like a happy ending," remarked Sai.

"No," said Sasuke lightly, "it's more like a happy beginning."

"Yeah, Konohamaru and I are taking our competition to a whole new level!!" yelled Naruto. "Since I'm bi and we're doing orgies—"

Sasuke interrupted by smacking Naruto on the head. "You ruined the moment, usuratonkachi," said Sasuke. "That's extra uke duty for you."

The girls' imaginations went berserk, and they keeled over completely.

"Hey, what's all this about 'uke duty'?" taunted Naruto. "Aren't you always claiming 'uke privilege' and shoving 'seme duty' on me?"

At that point, the males in the vicinity fainted as well.

"What the fuck are you talking about, dobe!?" shrieked Sasuke indignantly.

"You know exactly what kind of fuck I'm talking about, teme!!" Naruto gleefully cackled.

Sasuke and Naruto proceeded to chase each other through Konoha, screaming about semes, ukes, duties, and privileges. For the rest of that day—and on many other occasions from that day forth—every female in Konoha was left with a bloody nose and a busy imagination.

* * *

A/N:

And that's the end!

Hope you enjoyed reading, and thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, faved, reviewed again, etc :) Your support and encouragement mean so much to me!

To everyone who makes it all the way through this story, please leave me a review with your thoughts!

Much love from,

The Deuteragonist


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